The poor are seen as people who have a limited herd size and composition, inadequate for self-sufficiency. This depends on the number of bod owned, i.e., yaks, cows and horses, due to their productivity in dairy products. Sheep are given lesser productive value, although goats providing cashmere are valuable. Such households are extremely vulnerable to risk, e.g., dzud, and hence rapid decline into poverty. They need support from others to survive and lack cash income to acquire basic needs, such as flour, clothes, etc. They may also lack sufficient labour, e.g., in a female-headed household. Their security depends largely on the type of support system they are part of. For example, a female-headed household with 50 sheep and 5 milking cows was considered poor by others (in wealth ranking exercise) because of the lack of labour. Although the woman part of a surpportive kin khot ail who shared labour tasks, she also categorized herself as poor because she felt that her animals were insufficient for subsistence. Lack of labour, however, was not felt to be a major problem since it could be provided through khot ail relations.
The poorest amongst the poor are identified as those who are lazy and hopeless, and unable to help themselves. They have very few animals, lack the interest and skills necessary for herding. It was mentioned that they may be from poor families or kin groups, such that their poverty and sense of dependency is inherited. A significant feature is large households with many dependent children. These poorest people may also include the elderly who lack animals and kinship support.
However, criteria for the very poor also includes people who are largely found in the sum centre. These are people with skills and education but due to difficult circumstances are unable to find employment or sources of income. They may be people who have migrated to the sum from another area without animals, or those who lost a job in transition.
The main criteria identified for households to be comfortable or rich were sufficient number of animals, estimated at around 20 bod and above, and herd diversification with high numbers of mostly cows/yaks. Good herding skills, hard working, sufficient labour and available cash for necessary purchases were also seen as essential.