Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India

By Surjit Bhalla, Karan Bhasin, Arvind Virmani

April 5, 2022

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Surjit Bhalla, Karan Bhasin, and Arvind Virmani. Pandemic, Poverty, and Inequality: Evidence from India, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2022) accessed December 24, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

The paper presents estimates of poverty [extreme poverty PPP$1.9 and PPP$3.2] and consumption inequality in India for each of the years 2004-5 through the pandemic year 2020-21. These estimates include, for the first time, the effect of in-kind food subsides on poverty and inequality. Extreme poverty was as low as 0.8 percent in the pre-pandemic year 2019, and food transfers were instrumental in ensuring that it remained at that low level in pandemic year 2020. Post-food subsidy inequality at .294 is now very close to its lowest level 0.284 observed in 1993/94.

Subject: Agricultural commodities, Commodities, Consumption, Household consumption, Income inequality, National accounts, Poverty

Keywords: Agricultural commodities, Consumption, Consumption expenditure, Consumption inequality, Estimates of poverty, Food transfer, Global, Household consumption, Income inequality, Pandemic, Poverty Measurement, Poverty PPP

Publication Details

Pages:

52
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2022/069
Stock No:

WPIEA2022069
ISBN:

9798400205170
ISSN:

1018-5941

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