Trends and patterns of poverty in India: an analysis of its factors contributing

Abstract

The paper based on secondary data from the Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics Department, Government of India. The Planning Commission has updated the poverty lines and poverty ratios for 2011-12 based on the recommendations of the Tendulkar Committee using Household Consumer Expenditure Survey 2011-12 data of the National Sample Survey (NSS) 68th round. The poverty ratio in the country has declined from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12. The incidence of poverty has declined by 30.74 percent in rural area at national level. The incidence of poverty based on Tendulkar poverty ratio is 55.7 and 60.8 percent in rural area, 43.7 & 37.6 percent in urban area, and 54.4 & 57.2 percent in Bihar and Odisha. The incidence of poverty has significantly declined by 22 percent in Bihar and 28.2 percent in Odisha during 2004-05 to 2011-12. The incidence of poverty has significantly declined by 18.1 percent in Maharashtra. The correlation matrix of the factor contributing to influence the poverty in India. Six of the eight variables have significant correlation with depended variable of poverty. These variables are sex ratio, landless household, agriculture labours, marginal workers and size of household. These variables are 0.05 level significant correlations with poverty.