Size of land holding, living standards and employment in rural western India, 1972-73
Visaria, P.
World Bank Staff Working Paper, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 459: 117
1981
Document Number: 409818
The study analyzes the relationship between the size of land holding possessed by a household and the household's level of per caput expenditure in rural areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra states, October 1972-September 1973, on the basis of the 27th Round of the Indian National Sample Survey. Results indicate that although land is usually considered to be the critical determinant of living standards in rural India, differences in per caput land can explain only a very small proportion of variance in the monthly per caput expenditure of households. The incidence of poverty declines with an increase in size of land holding, but it remains significant even among households with 10 acres or more. The incidence of poverty is highest among agricultural labourers and lowest among rural white collar workers. Various characteristics of the households according to size of land holdings are examined. It appears that differences in illiteracy rates (above 15 years old) and school enrollment rates (5-19 years old), according to size of holding, are smaller than is generally believed. The structure of employment shows significant differences according to size of land holding.