What Forms does Poverty take in European Societies at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century?

Poverty has to do with a limited participation in various social commodities such as income, labour, education, and health, administration of justice, collective provisions and culture. Like income, health status can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be a current measure, such as the presence of health conditions limiting daily activities or self-perceived health condition. Income may be seen as a means to an end, but good health may be an end itself. Self-reported health may already include an element of relativity. The fact that India has a lower life expectancy than the United Kingdom is not a reason for applying a lower health deprivation threshold. The OECD has used 50 per cent of the national median. One argument for such a relative measure is that income is seen as a means to participate in society, and that the necessary amount depends on the general standard of living.