Everyone can immediately judge their own state even if they are just on a young age. When I was a child, just comparing us with those people who have a better living that I see on TV, I can merely say that we are poor. Someone can also be determined as poor if they can't afford the basic needs that we all should have like a decent meal.
The base for poverty in my opinion is only natural and not anything else. If you work hard and try to change your financial conditions, nothing will stop you. You can do it with consistency. Many people in this world do not work hard for the betterment of their lives but only spend time. They have no future planes and no strategies for changing miserable life. These people remain poor for the rest of their lives.