A subsistence crisis is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered. It occurs when individuals or communities are unable to obtain basic necessities due to either man-made or natural factors such as inflation, drought, war, poor harvests, high taxes, and rising prices. The French Revolution provides an example of a subsistence crisis where the population rose from 23 million to 28 million, leading to an increase in demand for food grains and a rise in the price of all commodities. The wages of workers did not match the rise in prices, and the gap between the poor and rich widened, leading to a subsistence crisis. Severe subsistence crises are considered famines.