Poverty declines to 21.8 per cent: NSS

from Sahara Samay

Fewer Indians were living in penury in 2004-05 than in 1999-2000, with official data showing poverty declined by 4.3 percent during the period but there were still 238.5 million people living in less than desirable conditions.

Poverty in India has declined to 21.8 percent in 2004-05 from 26.1 percent in 1999-2000, a report of the National Sample Survey (NSS) released by the Planning Commission said today.

The decline in poverty was comparatively much steep in rural areas where the percentage of people living below poverty line fell to 21.8 percent (2004-05) from 27.1 percent (1999-00).

In urban areas, percentage of people living below poverty line fell to 21.7 percent (2004-05) from 23.6 percent (1999-00), according to the NSS estimates based on the Mixed Recall Period (MRP)-consumption distribution data.

The number of people living below poverty was estimated at 238.5 million -- 170.3 million in rural areas and 68.2 million in urban areas -- out of the over one billion population.

The level of poverty, based on the Uniform Recall Period (URP)-consumption distribution data, declined to 27.5 percent in 2004-05 from 36.0 percent in 1993-94.

The level of poverty under the URP method in rural areas fell to 28.3 percent in 2004-05 from 37.3 percent in 1993-94 and in urban areas to 25.7 percent from 32.4 percent during the corresponding period.