Prices, Poverty Lines, and Poverty in 2022–23

In the absence of new official poverty lines, the updated official Tendulkar Committee poverty lines for 2022–23 are provided, along with alternate estimates of poverty based on updated Rangarajan Committee poverty lines for 2022–23 using the consumption expenditure survey. While poverty has continued to fall post-2011–12, the pace of poverty reduction has slowed irrespective of the choice of poverty line and inflation adjustment. However, serious comparability issues between the 2022–23 and earlier surveys remain unresolved, making this conclusion tentative at best. Given the multiple comparability concerns as well as pending decisions on the choice of price deflators and the normative content of the poverty line, a new official committee needs to present recommendations for the best way forward.