The topic of the contribution is the current perception and attitudes of citizens towards the issue of poverty in the microregion of Karviná. In its theoretical part, the text describes the current issue of poverty within the European Union, concentrating on the Czech Republic. It is primarily a presentation of current causes that may lead to poverty in European society. Further space is also devoted to preventive instruments of poverty in the Czech Republic. In its second part, the contribution presents us with a research that was accomplished and evaluated in 2017. The aim of the research is the perception and classification of the living standard of the population of the microregion of Karviná along with their attitudes towards the social demographic groups that are threatened by poverty and social exclusion. The results of the research are remarkable in the way that not always they proved the theoretical conclusions and stipulated theories. In its final part, the contribution summarises the most significant findings from the theoretical and research section.