Describe the difference between absolute and relative poverty.

Absolute poverty refers to the state in which an individual cannot afford a basic survival level, i.e. is inadequate in basic necessities of life like food, clothing, and shelter. Since income and food consumption is the most important criterion to check on well being of an individual, they are used to describe what we call as a poverty line.

The poverty line is an entry level that defines individuals living in absolute poverty as the ones living below it. They are the ones who are not capable of meeting basic human needs.

Relative concept is a concept that refers to the occurrence of relative deprivation. It measures the quantity of poverty. It refers to individuals or groups that lack resources when compared with other members of the society they belong to.

There can be cases where people in relative poverty group might be living above survival level, i.e. though such people are able to maintain a basic minimum living standard, but then no way are their conditions good enough in regards to the society they live in.