Zmiany w sferze ubóstwa w Polsce w latach 1980-2001

The process of system transformation in Poland begot a number of new social phenomena. Beside undoubtedly positive effects, some negative phenomena occurred, which are for example: enlargement of the group of people living in poverty and increase in financial standing differentiation, as well as establishment of poverty in Poland. Poverty became visible and begot many questions. The presented study attempts to answer some of these questions, which are: how many people in fact live in poverty. Answering all these questions, the author characterizes poverty as a socioeconomic phenomenon, indicates the methods of measuring poverty, and presents an evaluation of the area in which the problem occurs in Poland.