How we respond to knowledge about poverty will determine how we enter the twenty-first century and the prospects for a more just, more equitable, world. Prepared by a group of experts within the Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) network, this book is a state-of-the-art report on poverty and poverty research in different regions. As such, it is unique and is the first volume ever to cover poverty studies worldwide and to present the rich variety of concepts, hypotheses and data used in different disciplines in different cultural settings. The book contains a great number of ideas and reflections on poverty manifestations, poverty research and poverty strategies and is of great value for researchers and policy-makers alike. As such, it is a baseline for on-going and future research, and a major contribution to setting up the agenda for poverty research, into the next millennium.