lowerclass

Lower class is a sociological category used to describe people with relatively low income and limited wealth, often accompanied by restricted access to education, housing, and opportunities. Because national income distributions and welfare systems differ, there is no single universal threshold. Definitions typically reference income quintiles, poverty lines, or measures of material deprivation.

In some contexts, the term overlaps with or is used alongside working class, lower-middle class, and underclass, but these terms emphasize different dimensions such as occupation, education, or duration of economic hardship.

In practice, the lower class faces higher risks of poverty-related outcomes, including poorer health, unstable housing, and educational disadvantage for children. Policy discussions frequently focus on poverty reduction, social safety nets, affordable housing, health care access, and opportunities for skills training.

Critics argue that the label can be stigmatizing and fails to capture the diversity of experiences within populations. Some scholars emphasize mobility, noting that class position can change with earnings, education, marriage, or geographic shifts. Globally, terms vary; many countries prefer low-income or bottom quintile while using class alongside occupation and education in analysis.