India
Delhi | December 2011
INR 32 (USD 0.60, EUR 0.46).
This is based on per capita per-day basis of the provisional urban poverty line in December 2011.
India’s poverty line is reviewed by the Planning Commission, which also formulates the country’s Five-Year plans, and is chaired by the Prime Minister. A major debate about India’s poverty line definition arose in the late 2011 when the Planning Commission announced an update based on new price levels, bringing the recommended poverty line to INR 965 per capita per month for urban areas and INR 781 per capita per month for rural areas. The basis of the poverty line was a benchmark calorie intake for urban and rural residents, and daily expenditure on non-food items, adjusted for changes in price levels.
Following intense national debate on the low level of the poverty line, the government delinked the definition from Food Bill eligibility criteria, and undertook rounds of review. In May 2012, a new expert panel of economists was formed to review India’s poverty definition methodologies.
Note: Latest available standards and exchange rates were taken as of December 2011, when the photography was undertaken.
Understanding More
Govt Study Fixes Poverty Line at Rs 66 for Cities and Rs 35 for Villages
Press Note on Poverty Estimates
Report of the Expert Group to Review the Methodology for Estimation of Poverty
Government Announces New Expert Panel on Poverty Estimates