13. Levels of Living in the North Eastern States of India

This chapter attempts to examine the levels of living and assess the disparities across the states in the North Eastern Region (NER) of India. It also discusses the changes in the levels of living over the years. Data from varied sources like the National Sample Surveys on consumer expenditure and employment and unemployment, the Census of India and the National Family Health Surveys have been used. The level of living has been measured by a wide range of indicators like employment, per capita consumption expenditure, nutritional intake, educational attainment, demographic structure, literacy rates, household amenities, consumer durables and summary health indicators. In this chapter, each of these indicators have been presented, discussed and have also been combined into a composite index called the standard-of-living index. For comparative purposes, the analysis in the chapter is carried out for each of the eight states in NER and also for the all India average. The study covers a period of about 20 years from 1991 to 2012. Results for rural and urban areas have been presented separately. The chapter highlights the disparities in the NER and underscores the fact that development has mostly bypassed the rural areas.