The Hindu Business Line : Income disparities most glaring in Kerala: Study

While the affluent 10 per cent of the population accounts for as much as 41.2 per cent of the total domestic income, the bottom 10 per cent gets to enjoy a pathetic 1.3 per cent.

Thiruvananthapuram , April 7

Despite enviable socio-economic indicators, the distribution of income, for one, among the people in Kerala shows wide disparities, according to a study.

The study, done by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), has shown that while the affluent 10 per cent of the population accounts for as much as 41.2 per cent of the total domestic income, the bottom 10 per cent gets to enjoy a pathetic 1.3 per cent. This income disparity in the State is the highest in the country.

In education and healthcare fields, too, where the State's achievements have been much talked about, there are glaring inequalities with only 7.5 per cent of the youth from poor families fortunate enough to make their entry to colleges.

The State also has the highest per capita expenditure on healthcare.

The poorest among the population spend as much as 34.5 per cent of their income on healthcare needs and this results in hunger and rising debt among them.

Employment profile

The employment profile of the State also tells a similar story. While 54.3 per cent of those aged between 18 and 25 from poor families are unemployed, the figure for those belonging to the affluent section is 24.8 per cent.

The study, covering 28,049 persons belonging to 5,696 families spread across the State, has shown that the lower middle class comprises 41 per cent of the population, while the upper middle class and the rich form 9 per cent of the population.

This means that the major chunk of 50 per cent is made up of the poor and the very poor.

The per capita monthly income of the upper class and the rich is more than 12 times that of those belonging to the poor and the very poor.

Villagers worse off

The study has revealed that the incidence of poverty is the highest in Palakkad, Wayanad, Idukki and Malappuram districts. Besides, in the matter of income and economic well-being, the villagers are worse off than their counterparts in urban areas. This is more so among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The tertiary sector provides employment to the largest number of people (52 per cent) and the ones who earn the highest incomes are professionals, particularly doctors, whose average monthly income is Rs 22,400.

The incomes are very low for those engaged in agriculture, fishing, construction and traditional industries. Yet a major chunk of the population earns its living from these sectors.