A new Living Wage and Living Income Benchmark report for typical rural areas of Madhya Pradesh, India, released by the Anker Research Institute, reveals that current measures of poverty and adequate income levels are far below the reality.
This report, authored by a team of well-known Indian researchers who partnered with the Anker Research Institute, provides Living Wage and family Living Income estimates for rural Madhya Pradesh, India based on the gold standard Anker Methodology. It provides a comprehensive examination of the cost of living for a basic but decent living standard that includes a low-cost nutritious diet, basic healthy housing, education for children through secondary school, and adequate healthcare. Through meticulous data collection and rigorous analysis, the report, which was publicly presented and accepted by a wide range of stakeholders, provides valuable insights into the current economic conditions and livelihood standards for rural India.
This report finds that family living income needed for rural Madhya Pradesh is Rs. 20,997 per month for June 2022, and the living wage for a full-time worker is Rs. 13,325 per month. The living income required for basic decency is 2.7 times the 2014 national poverty line family income updated by inflation, and 2.2 times the World Bank international poverty line family income. It is clear from the evidence presented in this report that currently available poverty lines are far too low for basic decency. This means that many families and workers remain in dire circumstances even when they are out of poverty according to government and World Bank poverty lines.
“It is hoped that this report will help employers and policy makers to adopt suitable policies and take appropriate steps to enhance the quality of life of the farmers and workers of rural Madhya Pradesh,” stated Nidhi Kaicker and Kuriakose Mamamkootam, authors of the study.
This Anker Living Income Benchmark Report for rural Madhya Pradesh adds to a list of similar living wage and income reports for India, including for Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu), Badohi (Uttar Pradesh), and Nilgris (Tamil Nadu). Later this year, the Anker Research Institute will also publish a report for rural Andhra Pradesh and next year a report for Delhi NCR. All of these reports are a valuable resource for companies, government agencies, policymakers, researchers, and other organizations working towards improving lives in India.
To access the Anker Living Income Benchmark report for Madhya Pradesh, India, please visit here. For more information about Anker Research Institute, please visit https://ankerresearchinstitute.org/. For media inquiries, please contact: inquiries@ankerinstitute.org