India's poverty rate increased since 2004

India has made great strides in improving it's poverty rate over the last 10 to 20 years, new statistics released today indicate that improvement has reversed.

37.2 percent of the Indian population live below the poverty line of earning less than a $1.25 a day. That percentage is up from 27.5 percent in 2004. In terms of real people the percentages mean that 100 million more people living in poverty.

Despite continued growth in India's gross domestic product, the growth has not been able to keep up with the rising food prices. Food has increased 17 percent over that same time span.

From the Hindustan Times, this Reuters story breaks down the numbers further.

India now has 100 million more people living below the poverty line than in 2004, according to official estimates released on Sunday.
The poverty rate has risen to 37.2 percent of the population from 27.5 percent in 2004, a change that will require the Congress-ruled government to spend more money on the poor.

India now has 410 million people living below the U.N. estimated poverty line of $1.25 a day, 100 million more than was estimated earlier, officials said.

India calculates how much of its population is living below the poverty line by checking whether families can afford one square meal a day that meets minimum nutrition needs.

It was not immediately clear how much more the federal government would have to spend on the poor, as that would depend on the Food Security Bill when it is presented to the government after the necessary changes, officials say.

India's Planning Commission will meet the food and expenditure secretaries next week to estimate the cost aspects of the bill, government officials said.

A third of the world's poor are believed to be in India, living on less than $2 per day, worse than in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, experts say.