Poverty and inequality

Abstract

Despite much social policy innovation in many countries income inequality and poverty have continued to increase. A good understanding of different perspectives on inequality and poverty and a proper operationalization of these concepts are a necessary step to guide our ideas and actions for a better world. This chapter discusses some of the theoretical and conceptual complexities that surround ‘poverty’ and ‘inequality’ – making clear how ‘multidimensional’ these terms are. In particular, the chapter explores the spatial and temporal dimensions of poverty and inequality in addition to examining some of the problems associated with measuring poverty in different societies.