Rural-urban disparities - Income distribution, expenditure pattern and social sector

This paper is based on the most recent primary household level data obtained from a survey on income, expenditure, poverty measures for 1994-95 and human development indicators for 1996 in rural and urban India as a part of the project Micro Impact of Macro and Adjustment Policies (MIMAP). Empirical results show wide disparities in levels of living in terms of economic and social indicators in rural and urban India. The comparison of the distribution with a similar survey conducted in 1975-76 shows the changes in the pattern of income distribution and the gap between the shares of income in rural and urban areas during the last two decades.