Poverty
5.2What the syllabus asks of you
- Definitions of absolute and relative poverty: difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty
- Causes of poverty: unemployment
- Causes of poverty: low wages
- Causes of poverty: illness
- Causes of poverty: age
- Causes of poverty: environmental factors continued
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: promoting economic growth
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: improved education
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: improved healthcare provision
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: more generous state benefits
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: progressive taxation
- Policies to alleviate poverty and redistribute income: national minimum wage (NMW)
Read the notes first
Chapter 5: Poverty
Drill this topic
Every question on Poverty, untimed, marked as you go.
Make a worksheet
Choose the years and how many questions, then print it with the answers on separate pages.
20 questions
1May / June 2026 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Ahigh unemployment
Blow literacy rate
Cpoor health
Dstate benefits
Mark scheme
2Oct / Nov 2025 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Adecrease corporation tax; create more competition
Bincrease income tax; reduce the power of trade unions
Cincrease inheritance tax; increase the national minimum wage
Dincrease sales tax; privatise more public sector firms
Mark scheme
3May / June 2023 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Aabsolute poverty increases; relative poverty increases
Babsolute poverty increases; relative poverty unchanged
Cabsolute poverty unchanged; relative poverty increases
Dabsolute poverty unchanged; relative poverty unchanged
Mark scheme
4May / June 2023 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aa rise in employment
Ba rise in infant mortality
Ca rise in life expectancy
Da rise in the level of adult literacy
Mark scheme
5Oct / Nov 2022 · Paper 12 · Q26Show mark scheme →
Agovernment unemployment benefits.
Bincome tax.
Cthe number of homeless people.
Dthe rate of inflation.
Mark scheme
6Oct / Nov 2022 · Paper 13 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aincrease indirect tax, increase spending on healthcare, decrease personal tax-free allowance
Bincrease indirect tax, decrease spending on healthcare, increase personal tax-free allowance
Creduce indirect tax, increase spending on healthcare, decrease personal tax-free allowance
Dreduce indirect tax, increase spending on healthcare, increase personal tax-free allowance
Mark scheme
7Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Afalling below society's expected standard of living
Bincome level required to meet basic needs
Clack of access to clean water
Dliving on less than $2 a day
Mark scheme
8Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 13 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Agreater economic growth
Bless spending on education
Cmore regressive taxation
Dprivatisation of hospitals
Mark scheme
9May / June 2021 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aincreased / increased
Bincreased / remained constant
Cremained constant / increased
Dremained constant / remained constant
Mark scheme
10May / June 2021 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aabsolute poverty increased; relative poverty increased
Babsolute poverty increased; relative poverty remained constant
Cabsolute poverty remained constant; relative poverty increased
Dabsolute poverty remained constant; relative poverty remained constant
Mark scheme
11Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Alow incomes → low consumption → low prices → low output → low incomes
Blow incomes → low government spending → high taxation → low employment → low incomes
Clow incomes → low investment → high profits → low dividends → low incomes
Dlow incomes → low saving → low investment → low productivity → low incomes
Mark scheme
12May / June 2020 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
ADirect taxes had increased, and indirect taxes had fallen.
BReal gross domestic product was rising faster than the population.
CThe death rate was exceeding the birth rate.
DThe real value of government welfare benefits had fallen.
Mark scheme
13May / June 2020 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Adependence on aid for medical treatment
Black of transport to escape abroad
Cliving in tents in temporary camps
Dreceiving insufficient food for basic nutrition
Mark scheme
14May / June 2019 · Paper 11 · Q24Show mark scheme →
Amake income tax rates less progressive
Breduce benefit payments
Creduce the minimum wage
Dreduce the rate of sales tax
Mark scheme
15Oct / Nov 2018 · Paper 13 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Awhen there are low birth rates, high death rates, and high levels of migration / when there are high birth rates, low death rates, and low levels of migration
Bwhen a person does not have enough money for food, shelter, and clothes / when a person earns less than others in the same society
Cwhen everyone has an income below US$1.90 a day / when half the population has an income of US$1.90 a day
Dwhen necessities cannot be afforded / when luxuries cannot be afforded
Mark scheme
16May / June 2018 · Paper 11 · Q25Show mark scheme →
AA majority of the population will have less than average income.
BBasic living needs are not being met.
CMost people do not have mobile phones.
DThere is a high number of people living in rural areas.
Mark scheme
17May / June 2018 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aa lack of finance to buy machinery to improve productivity
Blow international prices for food due to overproduction
Cthe size of families is too small to work the land
Dwomen are discouraged from doing agricultural work
Mark scheme
18May / June 2017 · Paper 12 · Q24Show mark scheme →
AThe children will be expected to work to help provide income.
BThe family will find it easy to obtain loans to develop their farms.
CThe family will have a low earning capacity.
DThe family will suffer from malnutrition and lack of medical care.
Mark scheme
19Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
Aincrease; make it more progressive
Bincrease; make it more regressive
Creduce; make it more progressive
Dreduce; make it more regressive
Mark scheme
20May / June 2016 · Paper 12 · Q25Show mark scheme →
AInternational banks might be less willing to give loans to poor countries.
BInterest payments to the lenders would fall.
CThe standard of living of people in the poorest countries would fall.
DTrade between the poorest countries and the rest of the world would increase.
Mark scheme