A Comprehensive Analysis of Poverty in India

• Main Authors: Panagariya, Arvind, Mukim, Megha
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 01.12.2013
• Subjects: AGGREGATE LEVEL; AGGREGATE POVERTY; AGRICULTURAL LABORERS; AGRICULTURAL WORKERS; CAPITA EXPENDITURE; CAPITA INCOMES; caste; CIVIL SOCIETY; CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS; CONSUMER PRICE INDEX; CONSUMPTION BASKET; CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE; DECLINE IN POVERTY; DECLINE IN POVERTY RATES; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; DEVELOPING COUNTRY; DEVELOPMENT POLICY; DISADVANTAGED GROUPS; ECONOMIC GROWTH; ECONOMIC POLICIES; ECONOMIC POLICY; ECONOMIC REFORMS; ECONOMICS; EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME; EQUAL DISTRIBUTION; ESTIMATES OF POVERTY; EXTREME POVERTY; FARMERS; FOOD ITEMS; FOOD POLICY; GINI COEFFICIENT; GROWTH RATES; HIGH CONCENTRATIONS; HIGH INEQUALITY; HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE; HOUSEHOLD RESPONSES; HOUSING; INCOME; INCOME DISTRIBUTION; INEQUALITY; INFORMAL SECTOR; MEASURING POVERTY; MILK; NATIONAL ACCOUNTS; NATIONAL POVERTY; NATIONAL POVERTY LINE; OUTPUT GROWTH; PER-CAPITA INCOME; POINT DECLINE; POLICY MEASURES; POLICY REFORMS; POLICY RESEARCH; POOR; POST-REFORM; POVERTY ALLEVIATION; POVERTY ANALYSIS; POVERTY DEBATE; POVERTY ESTIMATES; POVERTY LEVELS; POVERTY LINE; POVERTY LINES; POVERTY MEASURES; POVERTY PROFILE; POVERTY RATE; POVERTY RATES; POVERTY REDUCTION; RAPID GROWTH; REDUCTION IN POVERTY; religious group; RISK MANAGEMENT; RURAL; RURAL AREAS; RURAL EMPLOYMENT; RURAL INEQUALITY; RURAL POPULATION; RURAL POVERTY; RURAL POVERTY BY STATES; RURAL POVERTY LINE; RURAL POVERTY LINES; RURAL POVERTY RATES; RURAL REGIONS; SMALL FARMERS; SUB-REGIONS; SUBSISTENCE; TRADE LIBERALIZATION; UNEMPLOYMENT; URBAN AREA; URBAN AREAS; URBAN POPULATION; URBAN POPULATIONS; URBAN POVERTY; URBAN POVERTY LINES; URBAN REGIONS; VEGETABLES

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of poverty in India. It shows that no matter which of the two official poverty lines is used, poverty has declined steadily in all states and for all social and religious groups. Accelerated growth between fiscal years 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 led to an accelerated decline in poverty rates. Moreover, the decline in poverty rates during these years was sharper for the socially disadvantaged groups relative to upper caste groups, so that a narrowing of the gap in the poverty rates is observed between the two sets of social groups. The paper also provides a discussion of the recent controversies in India regarding the choice of poverty lines.