ABSTRACT
In the present stage of China's economic development and reform, considerable changes have happened in terms of the mixture of rural and urban poverty. This chapter discusses this shifting dynamic and the basic characteristics of rural and urban poverty, including geographical and demographic distribution. A basic condition for defining the poor population is first to elaborate what poverty means and select a poverty line. While China is still applying a poverty line that is relatively low, certain international organs have put forward poverty lines with higher standards. As far as rural poverty is concerned, it is not enough to consider subsistence poverty alone. From the angle of human development, the most important objective of poverty alleviation is to enhance people's capabilities to pursue development, instead of simply providing them with bare subsistence. A comparison of poor and non-poor families reveals differences in familial characteristics that help in understanding the causes of poverty.
