Absolute poverty

Poverty is also called the survival of absolute poverty. Refers to certain social modes of production and way of life, the individuals and families rely on their labor income and other legitimate income could not sustain their basic survival needs, so that individuals or families on poor people or poor call. From the production side, the labor shortage of the material conditions of reproduction, it is difficult to maintain the simple reproduction of its own, producers can only shrink reproduction; from the consumer side, people can not be satisfied clothing, food, shelter and other basic needs of human life the minimum conditions that is often said that the "hungry, clothing does not, housing is not sheltered cold" situation. In accordance with international standards, the daily income of less than 1 U.S. dollars of man-made absolute poverty; different countries have different national conditions due to its slightly different standards, such as China's standard 0.7 U.S. dollars a day income is less than man-made absolute poverty.

The concept of poverty

Relative poverty and poverty. Poverty is a social phenomenon of material life, spiritual life of poverty is a social phenomenon, which refers to the concept of spiritual life or lack of no way out.

Such as: 'the philosophy of poverty', 'proletarian poverty' and so on. Poverty is a complex and simple phenomenon. It complicated, because until now, the meaning of poverty and its measurement to determine, in the middle and scholars are still debating, and that such arguments seem to be increasingly complicated. But from another perspective, poverty very simple, because you are in terms of definition on what kind of controversy, the poor are in a simple and objective manner exist.

Therefore we can say that poverty is above all a material life, but poverty is not only a simple material life. At the same time poverty is a phenomenon of the social structure.

Poverty due to unmet needs of scrutiny. There is no demand, no poverty; and not look the same do not know poverty.

Poverty is a very complex issue, in accordance with the general theory of economics, poverty is the economic, social and cultural phenomenon of poverty and backwardness of the term. But first of all is the economic dimension of poverty, that is, the material life of poverty, defined as a person or a family's standard of living less than a socially acceptable minimum standards. The existence of poverty in the history and reality have a double reason, therefore, poverty is a historic area. According to different criteria for the classification of poverty can be divided into different types. Such as absolute and relative poverty, survival type of poverty, food and clothing-poverty and development-based poverty, regional-based poverty and individual type of poverty, urban poverty and rural poverty, narrow the poverty and generalized poverty and so on.

1998 Nobel laureate in economics Amartya. Sen believes that the true meaning of poverty is a poverty-stricken population the ability to generate income and opportunities for the poor, poverty means that poor people lack access and the ability to enjoy a normal life!

Rountree and Booth 1901 in the author's view that: "a certain number of goods and services for individuals and families in the survival and well-being necessary, the lack of access to these goods and services or economic resources or financial capacity of the living conditions of people and families, is poverty. "

China's absolute poverty relief standards

Delineation of a country or a region of the poverty line, which is the minimum standard of protection is to implement an absolute prerequisite for poverty relief. The so-called poverty line, is the minimum standard of living of the average standard of living and social gap between the amount of a defined. China used to the per capita net income of the poverty line indicators and use it as the standard by the price index adjustment each year to determine the poverty standard. If our country in 2003 (absolute) poverty line for the annual per capita net income of 637 yuan.

The question now is, at present around by the official poverty line of the implementation of the standards, the actual coverage is also very limited (Tang Jun, 10% to 20%) of the urban minimum living standard security system to implement the results show that "China's poverty The family has been in social assistance, it is not hungry, clothing does not Biti, the homeless, but it is only able to maintain the most basic living conditions and live. In health, education and social context, they Many of the most basic needs are met is very difficult. As a result, their life is also far from the quality of life and human dignity. " And we all know, Western help poor countries there is a legal and moral bottom line, that is, "so that everyone can live with dignity." This shows that, even if our country is relatively better urban minimum living standard security system has yet to be improved. This is because China's cities, "low" system is only taking into account the life of the urban poor relief, and in accordance with international practices, those living in absolute poverty relief (the minimum living), including life in general relief, medical relief, education, relief, Residential relief, relief delivery, job search assistance and relief to the funeral, and other areas. By contrast, even if the current implementation of the relatively better city "minimal assurance" system, only one seventh of the work done, to protect its natural effect is difficult to achieve, "so that everyone can live with dignity" Level.

Compared to developed countries, per capita income 50% to 60% of the poverty line (actually a relative poverty standard), China's absolute poverty line standard is very low. However, taking into account China as a developing country with a large population of the actual national conditions, we can not be developed in the light of the relative poverty standard. There is a reference to international standards worthy of our country: in 1976 the international poverty line of OECD standards - a country or region per capita monthly salary of 1 / 2 or 1 / 3. In fact, many countries are based on the median income of 1 / 3 to determine the absolute poverty relief standards, the standards of developing countries in line with the actual. China's consideration of the level of economic development, the government's financial affordability of urban and rural residents, as well as the actual minimum needs and other factors, we believe that China's absolute poverty relief standards adopted this standard should be more reasonable. And according to figures released by the Government of China: 2005 China's urban residents per capita disposable income reached 10,493 yuan, the per capita net income of rural residents reached 3255 yuan (in 2006 the government work report). According to the urban and rural residents per capita net income of 1 / 3 to count, China's absolute poverty relief should be the standard of 3500 yuan per person per year (urban areas) and 1,100 yuan (rural areas). Compare the current poverty line standards, is more or less on the present basis increased 50%, this growth is increased at all levels of government in absolute poverty relief the financial burden of expenditure, but in recent years in view of our country at all levels of government revenue High growth rate, the affordability of public finances should also not appear difficult to support.

Chinese living in absolute poverty relief targets of the scope of the problem

The object of absolute poverty relief, according to the minimum subsistence guarantee system for the whole line of civil society in general to apply the principle that all should be lower than the real income of the local government to determine the poverty line (taking into account China's economic and social development around the level of difference) of the urban and rural residents . However, for absolute poverty relief system to facilitate the operation of China's absolute poverty relief legislation it is necessary to target relief to be determined more or less. China's combination of the actual situation, we believe that our current system of absolute poverty relief should be covered by the main target should include the following categories: First, no source of income, are unable to work, will be unable to support dependents or residents of this part of the people Usually belong to the tradition of absolute poverty relief targets; Second, the expiration of unemployment insurance failed to re-employment, per capita household income is less than the minimum living standard of residents; three family members in-the-job, but to receive a salary or minimum wage, pension After the family per capita income is still lower than the local minimum living standard of residents; Fourth, as a result of natural and man-made life difficult for the time being caused by the UN (village) people. These four persons belonging to China's economic reform and social change and the emerging target absolute poverty relief. In addition, there are a number of national policies and regulations to protect the special object.