The problem of poverty has over recent years remained a subject of debate throughout the world. The governments of richer countries express continuing concern about it, while the poorest countries, where dire need is common, are objects of intensive study. The fact that the population of the world is now wealthier than it has ever been, means that the plight of those who have fallen behind is more obvious. Governments in a position to help feel a greater compulsion to do so. Nevertheless, some types of poverty seem well-nigh intractable, and destined to burden mankind for decades, if not generations, to come.

A glance at some ‘ basic indicators’ of poverty by the World Bank reveal the enormity of the gap between rich and poor. Of the 125 countries listed, 38 of those categorised as ‘low income’ had a per capita Gross National Product of less than a dollar a day; all 18 ‘industrialised’ and ‘capital-surplus oil exporting’ countries were, by contrast, all in the 9 to 40 dollar range. GNP is not a particularly good indicator of personal well-being, but it is very convenient for purposes of comparison. We may note at this point that the Soviet-type states of East Europe were in the 5 to 15 dollar range.

Although many people in the world are obviously poor, views on where the threshold of poverty lies vary greatly. In the poorest countries only a small minority of the population may be above it, but even the richest countries harbour a poor.