The major difference between rural and urban poverty in India lies in the standard of living. The latter enjoys higher living standard compared to the former and the standard of living may be attributable to the wide income disparity and gap between the two. Another major difference is the level of education and also access to education. The urban Poor enjoy better access to quality education than the rural counterparts. Thirdly, health care facilities prevalent in the urban areas are far better than that of in the rural areas. Also the rural poor people lack access to these health facilities and important medical information. Fourthly, the difference lies in the type of houses they live in. The rural poor lives in kutcha house, while the urban poor resides in pucca houses which are well developed with proper sanitation facilities. Fifthly, rural poverty is temporary as the rural poor can migrate to urban areas to seek employment but, on the other hand, urban poverty is permanent.
Year |
Poverty Ratio Rural (%) |
Urban |
Total (%) |
1973-74 |
56.4 |
49.0 |
54.9 |
1977-78 |
53.1 |
45.2 |
51.3 |
1983 |
45.6 |
40.8 |
44.5 |
1987-88 |
39.1 |
38.2 |
38.9 |
1993-94 |
37.3 |
32.4 |
36.0 |
1999-2000 |
27.1 |
23.6 |
26.1 |
2004-05 comparable with
1993-94 |
28.3 |
25.7 |
27.5 |
Estimates Source: Planning Commission Estimates (Uniform Reference Period)
Yes, it is correct to say that poverty has shifted from rural to urban areas.Above data show that rural poverty has declined significantly from 56.4% in 1973-74 to 28% in 2004-05 whereas decline in urban poverty (from 49% to 25.7%) is not that significant. Further, the gap between the rural and urban poverty ratios which was around 7% in 1973-74 fell to just around 2% in 2004-05 again signifying the shift in poverty from rural to urban areas.