A person or community is considered impoverished if they lack the agency to change their life circumstances.
The Poverty Cycle of Left-Behind Children
Being impoverished doesn't just mean a lack of money. It means a lack of basic human needs that people living in developed countries take for granted. From widespread emotional trauma to being dismissed by all institutions due to lack of identification, impoverished people face barriers that seem absurd and unimaginable. From the moment they are born, many trapped in the poverty cycle are relegated to a life of suffering and inadequacy.
As a result of the poverty cycle, many basic needs are unmet within rural communities, resulting in a further cycle of self-destruction.
adapted from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs