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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.

More people are killed by stray bullets every day in America than have been killed by Ebola here. More are dying because of poverty and hunger.

Quotes by Robert Reich

I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil.

Quotes by Robert Kennedy

It is development, not poverty, that causes upheaval and terrorism.

Quotes by Robert D. Kaplan

We have had virtually unlimited access to abortion for nearly twenty years. Yet during that same period, more and more women and children have slipped into poverty.

Quotes by Robert Casey

I foresee that poverty and obscurity probably await me, and I am in some measure prepared and daily preparing to meet them.

Quotes by Robert Burns

My advice: Don't quit. When I got to New York City, I lived so far below the poverty line, because I didn't give in and get a job at 7-Eleven. I think you can thrive in misery.

Quotes by Rob Zombie

The problem is neutrality ends in poverty, neutrality ends in choices that hurt people's lives. This administration is deliberately telling organizations that are there to help young girls make good choices, not to tell them what the good choice is....

Quotes by Rick Santorum

Stand up for our sick. Stand up for our veterans. Stand up for the elderly. Protect things like Social Security. Stop allowing people to stick their hands in the cookie jar. Create opportunities for people who live in poverty to...

Quotes by Richard Ojeda

Trade is the all-but-forgotten weapon in the battle against poverty, but it can provide more help to the poor than aid can.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

That first responsibility as a school board member - meals for latch-key children - was absolutely critical in my understanding of the extraordinary problems of poverty.

Quotes by Richard Lugar

Poverty is the frontier we have to be able to cross.

Quotes by Ricardo Lagos

There are still hundreds of millions, billions of people living in abject poverty around the world. They need electricity. They need electricity they can count on, that they can afford. They need fuel to cook their food on that's not...

Quotes by Rex Tillerson

There's a real sense of desperation when you grow up in poverty.

Quotes by Ray LaMontagne

When we shift our public dollars away from our schools and city services and into company developments, it increases the root causes of poverty: unemployment, underemployment, lack of community resources, and lack of quality public education.

Quotes by Rashida Tlaib

We continue to see our elected officials working extra hard to create a 'good climate for business' that leads to disinvestment in public infrastructure and tax incentives to the detriment of cities, while enriching private business and further entrenching poverty....

Quotes by Rashida Tlaib

We have so much poverty in our country. Not every parent can afford to buy their kids all the frills and perks, but teenagers still demand it, and are we responsible for it!

Quotes by Raveena Tandon

As poverty has been reduced in terms of mere survival, it has become more profound in terms of our way of life.

Quotes by Raoul Vaneigem

A rich, robust, well-resourced public education is one of the best routes out of poverty and a pathway to prosperity.

Quotes by Randi Weingarten

It is our sacred obligation to eliminate the curse of poverty in the shortest possible time. This is non-negotiable for the Republic.

Quotes by Ram Nath Kovind

My government is giving residential, health facilities to poor as poverty can be removed only by empowering them.

Quotes by Ram Nath Kovind

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.