IMF Working Papers

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 14, 2024

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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:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2022/069

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2022069

  • ISBN:

    9798400205170

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941