Poverty is the state of not having enough material possessions or income for a person's basic needs. Poverty may include social, economic, and political elements. "Absolute poverty" is the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. The floor at which "absolute poverty" is defined is always about the same, independent of the person's permanent location or era. On the other hand, "relative poverty" occurs when a person cannot meet a minimum level of living standards, compared to others in the same time and place. Therefore, the floor at which "relative poverty" is defined varies from one country to another, or from one society to another.