The World Bank last week released a report on poverty in India titled ” Perspectives on poverty in India: stylized facts from survey data ”
Abstract from Report
This report’s objective is to develop the evidence base for policymaking in relation to poverty reduction. It produces a diagnosis of the broad nature of the poverty problem and its trends in India, focusing on both consumption poverty and human development outcomes.
It also includes attention in greater depth to three pathways important to inclusive growth and poverty reduction
- Harnessing the potential of urban growth to stimulate rural-based poverty reduction.
- Rural diversification away from agriculture.
- Tackling social exclusion.
This report shows that urban growth, which has increasingly outpaced growth in rural areas, has helped to reduce poverty for urban residents directly. In addition, the evidence appears of a much stronger link from urban economic growth to rural poverty reduction. Stronger links with rural poverty are due to a more integrated economy.
Urban areas are a demand hub for rural producers, as well as a source of employment for the rural labor force. They are aiding the transformation of the rural economy out of agriculture. In urban areas, it is small and medium-sized towns, rather than large cities, that appear to demonstrate the strongest urban-rural growth links. Urban growth also stimulates rural-urban migration. But although some increase in such migration has occurred over time, migration levels in India remain relatively low compared to other countries.
Download World Bank Report about Poverty in India
at the link below
Perspectives on poverty in India Report: stylized facts from survey data -PDF-276pages-3.76 MB
PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY IN INDIA REPORT: STYLIZED FACTS FROM SURVEY DATA
Contents
Overview
- India’s Poverty Challenge
- Poverty on the Decline
- City Size Matters: Urban Growth and Poverty
- A Casual Transformation: Rural Nonfarm Employment
- Beyond Consumption: Toward Health and Education for All, Haltingly
- Rising Inequality: Cause for Concern?
- Social Exclusion: Who Is Being Left Behind?
- Concluding Remarks
- Notes
- References
1. Consumption Poverty And Growth
- Consumption Poverty: Trends and Patterns
- Has Poverty Become Less Responsive to Economic Growth?
- Changing Drivers of Poverty Reduction
- Thinking beyond the “Official” Poor
- Notes
- References
2. Urban Growth And Poverty In Towns Of Different Sizes
- Introduction
- Trends at the National and the State Level
- Poverty in Towns of Different Sizes
- Urban Agglomeration and Poverty Reduction
- Urban Growth Is a Source of Rural Poverty Reduction
- Implications for Policy
- Notes
- References
3. A Casual Transformation: The Growing Rural Nonfarm Sector
- India’s Rural Transformation: In Slow Motion but Picking Up Speed
- The Casualization of Nonfarm Work
- Who Gets What Job? Does Nonfarm Employment Reach the Poor?
- The Impact of the Nonfarm Sector on Rural Poverty: A Regression Analysis
- Why Isn’t the Nonfarm Sector Growing Faster?
- Notes
- References
4. Beyond Consumption Poverty: Nutrition, Health, and Education
- Nutrition Outcomes: Short, Thin, and Wasted
- Health Outcomes: Better but Not Well
- Education Outcomes: In School, but Not Learning Very Much
- The Need for Systemic Reform
- Notes
- References
5. Rising Inequality: A Cause for Concern?
- Inequality Dynamics at the All-India Level
- Inequality at the Local Level in the Three States
- The Structure of Indian Inequality
- Notes
- References
6. Social Exclusion: Who Is Being Left Behind?
- Exclusion by Caste
- Exclusion by Tribal Identity
- Exclusion by Gender
- Epilogue
- Notes
- References
