Methods in measuring poverty matter: an Indian story

Abstract

India entered a new era of rapid economic growth in the 1990s when it began its economic reforms. At its 6% growth rate, most would expect a strong reduction in poverty. In line this, the official estimates from two large surveys showed that poverty in rural areas fell from 37.3 in 1993-94 to 27.1% in 1999-2000, while in urban areas it fell from 32.4 to 23.6%. Deaton´s (2001) alternative poverty estimates indicated a smaller, but still significant reduction: from 36.2 to 28.8% nation-wide over the same period. (...)

A Índia entrou numa nova era de rápido crescimento econômico na década de 1990 quando começou suas