This is according to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s presentation of the Economic Survey for 2013–14 in Parliament today.
According to the 2011-12 Survey estimates, Bihar had the highest poverty headcount ratio (HCR) at 33.7%, surpassing Odisha, which had the highest HCR in 2004-05. In 2011-12, the poverty HCR in India was 21.9%, however, it was higher in some states than others. These were Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha.
However, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh tied for first in rural poverty, followed by Bihar and Assam.
The number of low-income households in Odisha has also increased, according to the research.
Odisha is the second poorest state in the country, behind only Bihar.
According to the survey, 33.7% of people in Odisha live below the poverty line.
The Rangarajan committee study, however, puts the number far higher.
Kerala has the lowest percentage of its population living in poverty (just 8.1%).
Also, with 53 deaths of infants per 1000 live births, Odisha has the third highest infant mortality rate in the country. Compared to the national average of 7.0, the death rate was lowest in Maharashtra and West Bengal (at 6.3), and highest in Odisha (at 8.5).