Multi-Dimensional Deprivation in India During and After the Reforms: Do the Household Expenditure and the Family Health Surveys Present Consistent Evidence?

This paper uses the recent approach of multidimensional deprivation measures to provide a comprehensive and wide ranging assessment
of changes to living standards in India during the period, 1992/93–2004/5. This covers the reforms and the immediate post
reforms time periods. The study is the first to be based on the simultaneous use of two parallel data sets, namely the National
Sample Survey (NSS) and National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data sets, covering proximate rounds and near identical time
periods. The results allow a check of consistency on the picture of deprivation in India between these two data sets. The
study is conducted both at regionally disaggregated levels and by socio economic groups. The deprivation dimensions range
widely from the conventional expenditure dimensions to non-expenditure dimensions such as access to drinking water and clean
fuel, to health dimensions such as child stunting and the mother’s BMI. The use of decomposable deprivation measures allows
the identification of regions, socio economic groups and deprivation dimensions that are contributing more than others to
total deprivation.