poverty line

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poverty line

A family's income falls just below the poverty line.

Definition

Noun: A minimum income level, officially defined by a government or authoritative body, below which a person or household is considered to be living in poverty. It is a statistical threshold used to measure and quantify economic need within a population.

Usage

The term is used as a countable noun, often preceded by "the" (e.g., the poverty line). It is a standard term in economics, social policy, and demographic studies to discuss welfare, inequality, and living standards. * The government's new policy aims to lift thousands of families above the poverty line. * Researchers are debating whether the official poverty line accurately reflects the cost of basic necessities.

Examples
  • Millions of people live just below the poverty line, struggling to afford adequate food and housing.
  • Raising the minimum wage could help more workers earn an income above the poverty line.
  • The report analyzed the percentage of children living under the federal poverty line.
Advanced Usage
  • To fall below/drop below the poverty line: To become officially classified as poor due to a decrease in income.
    • After losing his job, he feared his family would fall below the poverty line.
  • To lift/raise someone above the poverty line: To increase income so it exceeds the official threshold.
    • The scholarship program is designed to lift students' future earnings above the poverty line.
  • To hover around/near the poverty line: To have an income very close to the threshold, making one vulnerable to poverty.
    • Many service workers hover around the poverty line despite being employed full-time.
Variants and Related Words
  • Poverty threshold: A synonymous term often used interchangeably with "poverty line."
  • Poverty rate: The percentage of a population living below the poverty line.
  • Poverty level: Another common synonym.
  • International poverty line: A global benchmark set by institutions like the World Bank, often set at a certain dollar amount per day (e.g., $2.15 per day).
Synonyms
  • Breadline
  • Subsistence level
  • Indigence threshold
Related Phrases
  • Living in poverty: The state of existing below the poverty line.
    • The program provides assistance to families living in poverty.
  • Poverty line index: A related metric that may incorporate multiple factors beyond income.
poverty line

A family's income falls just below the poverty line.

Noun
  1. a level of personal income defining the state of poverty

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