While the urban rich thrive on Rs 343 a day and rural rich on about Rs 150, in sharp contrast the poorest of poor in the country barely survive on Rs 23 a day in cities and Rs 17 per day in villages.
According to the latest data released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on Thursday for 2011-12 (July-June), five per cent population on the top end of the spectrum had an average monthly per capita expenditure (MCPE) of Rs 10,282 in urban areas and Rs 4,481 in rural areas. While the lower end of the order had an MCPE of Rs 700.50 in urban areas and Rs 521.44 in rural areas.
The National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) 68th round of survey is based on samples consisting of 7,496 villages in rural India and 5,263 urban blocks except some remote areas in Nagaland and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, during July 2011-June 2012, the release said.
On an average on the all-India basis, MPCE was around about Rs 2,630 for urban India and Rs 1,430 for rural India.
“Thus average urban MPCE was about 84 per cent higher than average rural MPCE for the country as a whole, though there were wide variations in this differential across States,” said a release from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
For the average urban Indian, 42.6 per cent of the value of household consumption accounted for food, including 9 per cent by beverages, refreshments and processed food, 7 per cent by milk and milk products, and 6.7 per cent by cereals and cereal substitutes.
Education accounted for 6.9 per cent, fuel and light 6.7 per cent, conveyance 6.5 per cent, and clothing and footwear 6.4 per cent.
For the average rural Indian, food accounted for 52.9 per cent of the value of consumption during 2011-12. This included 10.8 per cent for cereals and cereal substitutes, 8 per cent for milk and milk products, 7.9 per cent on beverages, refreshments and processed food, and 6.6 per cent on vegetables, the release said.
Among non-food item categories, fuel and light for household purposes (excluding transportation) accounted for 8 per cent, clothing and footwear 7 per cent, medical expenses 6.7 per cent, education 3.5 per cent, conveyance 4.2 per cent, other consumer services (excluding conveyance) 4 per cent, and consumer durables 4.5 per cent.
The data is among the most important measures of the level of living and are crucial inputs for estimation of prevalence of poverty by the Planning Commission. These indicators by the NSSO are amongst the most important measures of the level of living of the people and are crucial inputs for estimation of prevalence of poverty by the Planning Commission.