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Poverty Quotes

On hardship, pretense, and the thin line between struggle and ruin.

These quotes describe poverty as something felt rather than just discussed—its nearness to wealth in some places, the pretense people keep up to hide it, and the social programs built to hold it back. See our poverty slogans for another angle.

The wealth of a soul is measured by how much it can feel; its poverty by how little.

Quotes by William R. Alger

I think that America in general is piratical. Every time we accept a paycheck for doing almost nothing, allowing us to live above the poverty line, we're engaging in piracy.

Quotes by Will Oldham

In Mexico, wealth and poverty live next to each other and are cordial with each other - in my experience.

Quotes by Whit Stillman

It is not poverty so much as pretense that harasses a ruined man - the struggle between a proud mind and an empty purse - the keeping up of a hollow show that must soon come to an end.

Quotes by Washington Irving

A far greater factor than abolishing poverty is the deterrent effect of swift and certain consequences: swift arrest, prompt trial, certain penalty and - at some point - finality of judgment.

Quotes by Warren E. Burger

Poverty is an anomaly to rich people; it is very difficult to make out why people who want dinner do not ring the bell.

Quotes by Walter Bagehot

We grew up in abject poverty. Acting, writing scripts and skits were a way of escaping our environment at a very young age.

Quotes by Viola Davis

I came from a very poor family and my main dream in life was to break out of this poverty.

Quotes by Viktor Yanukovych

Gramacho is the last landfill that allows people in. Brazil is the leading nation in recycling due to its poverty. There are people there surviving from what they find in the garbage.

Quotes by Vik Muniz

The best thing about universal free school meals is that they would remove one of the embarrassing signals, easily picked up by children's supersensitive antennae, of family poverty.

Quotes by Victoria Coren Mitchell

Lagos is sometimes emblematic of disorder. In traffic, drivers make their own rules. There is a constant war between our street hawkers and our various forms of law enforcement deployed to eradicate the 'indiscipline' of poverty.

Quotes by Uzodinma Iweala

Capitalism - for the record - has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic system in the world.

Quotes by Trish Regan

Think about it: Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vietnam, North Korea, the former Soviet Union - they all start with the intention of leveling the playing field - or making things better for the little guy - and instead, they created misery,...

Quotes by Trish Regan

While a handful of countries and a small number of people are leading ample life, dozens of countries and billions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America are being left in absolute poverty.

Quotes by Tran Duc Luong

Did you know that nearly one in three children live apart from their biological dads? Those kids are two to three times more likely to grow up in poverty, to suffer in school, and to have health and behavioral problems.

Quotes by Tony Dungy

When families break down, you have a lot of repercussion from that, from poverty to crime to lack of discipline.

Quotes by Tony Evans

Although they are some of the hardest working folks I know, rural Americans earn, on average, $11,000 less than their urban counterparts each year. And they are more likely to live in poverty.

Quotes by Tom Vilsack

You almost have to create situations in order to write about them, so I live in a constant state of self-imposed poverty. I don't want to live any other way.

Quotes by Tom Waits

Full-time workers earning the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 only earn about $14,500 a year in wages - below the poverty line for a family of two. That's unacceptable.

Quotes by Tom Perez

In the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works a full time job should have to live in poverty. That's a fundamental value proposition, an article of faith in our country that I know an overwhelming majority of Americans...

Quotes by Tom Perez

Frequently Asked Questions

What angles on poverty do these quotes cover?
This set covers a personal observation about inequality in Mexico, a stark description of poverty's harshness, a policy view connecting Social Security to reducing poverty, and an older reflection on pretense and a ruined man's pride.
Is there a quote describing wealth and poverty existing side by side?
Yes: "In Mexico, wealth and poverty live next to each other and are cordial with each other - in my experience."
Does a quote connect poverty to a dark, memorable image?
Yes: "There is something about poverty that smells like death."
Is there a quote linking Social Security to reducing poverty?
Yes - one sample post states, "Social Security not only helps Americans enjoy a secure retirement, it has also kept millions of Americans out of poverty." This is presented as that speaker's own stated policy view, not this page's endorsement of any particular policy position.
Where can I find more poverty-related content?
If you liked these, check out our Slogans page for more short lines on poverty, or our Life quotes for broader reflection.

The collection also touches on how poverty shapes children and education, alongside its role in a nation's broader story.