Poverty in India during the 1990s: A Regional Perspective

Abstract

The authors provide estimates of poverty
\n at the regional level in India, spanning the 1990s. Such
\n estimates have not been previously available due to concerns
\n regarding non-comparability of the 1993-94 and 1999-2000
\n National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) household survey
\n data. They implement an adjustment procedure to restore
\n comparability based on a methodology developed by Elbers and
\n others (2003). The results indicate a less rapid decline of
\n poverty, at the all-India level than has been suggested by
\n Deaton and Dre (2002), based on a related adjustment
\n methodology. The authors attempt to uncover the source of
\n disagreement across these procedures, by probing a number of
\n their underlying assumptions.