In modern conditions of sustainable development one of the most important issues is the problem of poverty. By the concept of poverty, humanity understands the impossibility of providing the simplest and most accessible living conditions for most people. Today, 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty all over the world.Speaking of poverty, we can consider several types of poverty:- Absolute poverty （a group of people who do not possess the goods and property necessary to ensure a decent existence）. So, by the standards of the United Nations, people whose dailypurchasing power is $5 are considered to be absolutely poor. US per person per day （in Ukraine - $2,2）. There is another indicator used by the World Bank and is about $1,9 purchasing power parity. Also, different countries apply their own indicators. Some countries apply a certain figure, for the calculation of which they take the cost of a consumer basket of goods and services （in Ukraine - 1777 UAH, or $67,8）.- Relative poverty （a group of people whose living conditions are characterized by a lower level relating to the average level in the pyramid of income and welfare）. The founder is P. Townsend, who considered poverty as a state in which, due to the lack of economic resources, it is impossible for a majority of people to lead a habitual way of life for most people. Poverty analysis was based on the concept of a set of deprivations of multidimensional deprivation. The scientist considered the concept of deprivation as a state of the observed and demonstrable disadvantage of an individual, family or group against the background of the community, society.Currently, there are two directions regarding the definition of poverty. The first direction is connected with livelihoods, the ability to buy goods: one-third of spending on food is spent by extremely poor families, and if 50.0% is spent on food, this indicates extreme poverty （E. Engel’s pattern）. Based on the results of the research, it was noted that the population of Japan spend 15.5% on food, Germany – 12.4%, Sweden – 11.8%, US – 8.7%. Consequently, a decent family life begins from the moment when its expenditures on food make up less than 30.0% of income.The median income indicator is used during constructing a relative poverty line. The indicator can be defined as the salary of the average person, and not as the average salary of a person. In Scandinavia, the relative poverty line corresponds to 60.0% of the median income, and in most European countries – 50.0%, in the US – 40.0%.In the second direction, the civil law theory of poverty, poverty is measured through deprivation in the broad sense of the word. The direction affects the group of the population, which includes the unemployed, migrants, retirees, people with no education and others. According to Eurostat, in 2017 amongthe European Union countries the total number of unemployed was 23.7 million people （9.8%）. The highest unemployment rate was recorded in Greece – 25.7%, and Spain – 23.0%.As a conclusion we can say that absolute poverty can be eliminated, but relative poverty will always remain.The main causes of poverty can often be its consequences. As an example, we can consider natural disasters and the destruction of the natural environment; devastating epidemics and infections, low human capital development （Republic of Malawi, Republic of Burundi, Central African Republic）; wars （due to political instability, the emergence of ethnic conflicts）; the unfair structure of geography （the growing role of agricultural land in agribusiness enterprises, the shortage of land and resources among small landowners）; the lack of state support for the development of small business; the imperfection of the state support system in the field of health, science and education; the presence of rigid hierarchical foundations （feudal order in the agricultural sector of Latin America）; lack of modernization programs at the level of state regions; lack of jobs in the secondary sector of economic development; an obstacle to the export of agricultural products and raw materials caused by protectionist measures by large trading states; high rates for the repayment and servicing of foreign debt, which leads to a reduction in budget expenditures at the expense of the poorest segments of the population; lack of coordination in the delivery of humanitarian aid; unavailability of loans for the poor, which leads to a decrease in improving living conditions; neglect of the education system by the government for children from poor families; an increase in the number of working children and families in their care, and so on. According to the Nobel laureate J. Stiglitz, “poverty as a factor “contributes” to the reduction of vertical mobility, especially in the long run, and reduces the productivity of the entire population.”There is international experience in poverty alleviation. For some countries, the fight against poverty is prevention, and for others – the most important strategic task of socially oriented policies. The first method is typical for developed countries with a high standard of living and social guarantees that provide the basic minimum incomes （wages and pensions）. It is actively used in France, where the role of the state is high and the social achievements of the working people are significant （compulsory social insurance, including decent work pensions, high-quality municipal services, unemployment benefits）.The second way to fight poverty is a system of targeted social assistance to those who are in the worst relative situation. This method is used in developed countries as an additional, exclusively for people in extreme situations.The third way to fight poverty is related to the implementation of state programs. For example, in the People’s Republic of China, state programs are being implemented: “The State Plan for Ending Poverty of 80 Million People for 7 Years” （1994-2000）, “The China Program for Assisting Poor Rural Areas and Their Development” （2001-2010）, “China’s program of assistance to poor rural areas and their development” （2011-2020） and others.The experience of the People’s Republic of China, as well as current trends in overcoming poverty in the countries of the European Union, makes it possible to formulate offers for overcoming poverty within the framework of a comprehensive state policy:- to assess the real state of poverty at the regional level and to identify the factors causing the development of poverty;- suspend the privatization of state and municipal property, create the necessary legal conditions for the return of privatized objects;- to adopt a state program for the construction of municipal housing and the development of the rental housing market in order to solve the housing problems of the population;- to revise the mechanisms of interbudget relations in order to improve the quality of life of the population in municipalities, especially in rural municipalities;- at the legislative level to approve the system of social standards of well-being of the population and so on.