Describe the poverty trends in India since 1993.

India is a country approximately 14 billion people. Out of which about 260 million are poor they are the people who are unable to support even their basic needs as well as their family. Here basic needs include food, clothing, fuel, electricity, education for children, medical requirements and so on. Post independence, roughly since 1951, the population of the country started increasing and hence gave rise to the growth in poverty rate as well.

i) In 1993-94 the poverty ratios in India was recorded to be around 45% of the then total population.

ii) But in 2004-05, a substantial decline in the poverty ratios was recorded. Poverty ratio fell down to 37.2% from 45%.

iii) Further, in 2011-12 there was again a fall in poverty ratio to 22% people who came under the poverty line.

Even though in the earlier 2 decades, that is, 1973-83, 1983-93, the percentage of people under poverty declined. In India, the number of poor decreased from 407 million in 2004-05 to 270 million in the year of 2011-12 with an average annual decline of 2.2% during 2004-05 to 2011-12. Hence, it is clear from the poverty trends that the number of poor people in India is decreasing but that doesn’t mean that in coming years poverty would vanish. With every year and adoption of western culture the standard of living is increasing. People then may not fall below the poverty line but can still be poor.