There are several measures of poverty.
Relative poverty measures are used as official poverty rates by the European Union, UNICEF, and the OEDC. The main poverty line used in the OECD and the European Union is based on "economic distance", a level of income set at 60% of the median household income. However that means the poor in a rich country have much more than the poor in a poor country.
This one is based on assets
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statist...ially_deprived
The severe material deprivation rate represents the proportion of people who cannot afford at least four of the nine following items:
having arrears on mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, hire purchase instalments or other loan payments;
being able to afford one week’s annual holiday away from home;
being able to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day;
being able to face unexpected financial expenses;
being able to buy a telephone (including mobile phone);
being able to buy a colour television;
being able to buy a washing machine;
being able to buy a car;
being able to afford heating to keep the house warm.
In the EU-28, 8.1 % (see Figure 4) of the population were severely materially deprived. The share of those severely materially deprived varied significantly among EU Member States. On one hand, 2.6 % in the Netherlands, 2.2 % in Finland, 2.0 % in Luxembourg, and only 0.7 % of the population was severely deprived in Sweden.
On the other hand, the deprivation rate was 22.2 % in Greece, 22.7 % in Romania and peaked at 34.2 % in Bulgaria.
So buying a phone, car and TV is as important as affording a meal!!
Anyway things are not that bad here on this measure and improving.
Attachment 9021
There are also social measures of poverty.
