In many countries, most children from the poorest households have no schooling. There are often enormous gaps between the educational attainment of the rich and of the poor within countries. In India, for example, 15-19 year olds from the richest 20 percent of households have completed on average ten years of schooling. Children from the poorest 40 percent of households have on average no schooling. In some countries school drop-out rates are very high, especially among the poor.
Poverty is defined with respect to ownership of assets.