The urbanization of poverty in India: Spatio‐temporal disparities in consumption expenditures

Abstract

This paper identifies the spatial patterns of urban poverty and their change over time using state‐level data on consumer expenditures for the 61st (2004–05), 66th (2009–10), and 68th (2011–12) rounds and a class of decomposable poverty measures (Foster‐Greer‐Thorbecke Index). Further, state‐specific new urban poverty lines (Tendulkar Methodology) based on consumption expenditures for both food and nonfood items have been employed to measure the incidence of urban poverty in each of the twenty‐nine states. The analysis reveals that while urban poverty has declined considerably over the study periods both at national and state levels, there are distinct spatial concentrations, reflecting the phenomenon of urbanization of poverty and large spatial differences in consumption expenditures. There is clearly a heavy concentration of urban poverty in central and north‐eastern states of India, such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. Only the relatively prosperous north and north‐western states have low urban‐poverty levels in all periods. In the regression results, access to housing and sanitation emerge as the most important variables in explaining urban poverty in India over all study periods.

Key words:

• poverty
• inequality
• India

We would like to acknowledge the funding of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41130750, 41329001, and 41550110226).

We would like to acknowledge the funding of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41130750, 41329001, and 41550110226).

Notes

We would like to acknowledge the funding of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41130750, 41329001, and 41550110226).

1. According to the Census of India, an urban area is defined as all places with a municipality, corporation cantonment board or notified towns area committee, etc., and all other places with a minimum population of 5,000, have at least 75 percent of male working population engaged in nonagricultural pursuits, and have a density of population of at least, 400 person per sq. km. (1,000 persons per sq. mile). This definition has been considered in all the Censuses (1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, and 2011).

2. The consumption of any good or service by a household or person occurs in the form of a flow over time. The time period (a day, a month, or a year) for which consumption is recorded is called the reference period. It may vary from item to item.

3. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were formed in 2000 by partitioning Madhya Pradesh and Bihar respectively. Hence, these two states are also referred on par with the other BIMARU states.

Additional information

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Notes on contributors

Komali Yenneti

K. Yenneti, Post‐doctoral Researcher, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; [[email protected]].

Yehua Dennis Wei

Y. Dennis Wei, Professor and Corresponding Author, Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China, and Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112‐9155, USA; [[email protected]].

Wen Chen

W. Chen, Professor, Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; [[email protected]].