subsistence level
noun
: a level of income that provides only enough money for basic needs
living below (the) subsistence level
Examples of subsistence level in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His country remains one of the poorest in Asia: a quarter of the population lives near the subsistence level, foreign trade is minimal, and its GDP is a small fraction of South Korea’s.
—
John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Put another way, what was once a modest safeguard above subsistence level is now an extremely low floor that virtually guarantees poverty for those left living on it.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Georgia, for example, ranks near the top of the B-READY labor assessment, despite not having updated its minimum wage since 1999 and setting it below the subsistence level.
—Dhaisy Paredes Guzman, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
Prehistoric humans had a subsistence level of food, and were, overall, fairly healthy.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Retirees, already living close to a subsistence level, could slip deeper into poverty if their pensions are not topped up to keep pace with inflation.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
In areas like western Guatemala, where coconut, corn and banana plantations stretch along the highway, many people scrape by at a barely subsistence level.
—Soudi Jiménez, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2023
In general, though, it’s meant to provide a subsistence level of income for people younger than retirement age who can’t work.
—Liz Weston, oregonlive, 5 Mar. 2023
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John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Put another way, what was once a modest safeguard above subsistence level is now an extremely low floor that virtually guarantees poverty for those left living on it.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Georgia, for example, ranks near the top of the B-READY labor assessment, despite not having updated its minimum wage since 1999 and setting it below the subsistence level.
—Dhaisy Paredes Guzman, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
Prehistoric humans had a subsistence level of food, and were, overall, fairly healthy.
—John Mariani, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Retirees, already living close to a subsistence level, could slip deeper into poverty if their pensions are not topped up to keep pace with inflation.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
In areas like western Guatemala, where coconut, corn and banana plantations stretch along the highway, many people scrape by at a barely subsistence level.
—Soudi Jiménez, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2023
In general, though, it’s meant to provide a subsistence level of income for people younger than retirement age who can’t work.
—Liz Weston, oregonlive, 5 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Subsistence level.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsistence%20level. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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