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Academic Voices A Multidisciplinary Journal Volume 2, N0. 1, 2012

POVERTY INCIDENCE IN BY / ETHNICITY: RECENT LEVELS AND TRENDS Shambhu Prasad Patel Department of Statistics, T.U., TRM Campus, Birgunj

Abstract Nepal Living Standard Survey (NLSS) 1995/96 is the first survey in Nepal which provides data on by caste and ethnicity. This paper attempts to trace out the levels and trends of poverty in Nepal by caste and ethnicity on the basis of available data. The findings show wide disparity in poverty between and within the groups.

Keywords

Caste, , ethnicity, poor, poverty.

Introduction • Indigent : being needy. The word ‘poverty’ is derived from the French • : industrious lives and word ‘pauvre’ meaning ‘poor’. It is a state of descerving Poor. lacking material possession of housing or no means to support oneself. Marshall (2005) in • Popular classes: an expression preferred dictionary of sociology notes that the concept by the contemporary left in USA. of ‘poverty’ has been with us since antiquity, but the meaning has not been constant • Dangerous Classes: Poor as ‘dangerous through out the ages. Friedmann (1992) noted classes’ characterized by vice, immoral that ‘moralistic talks” was assigned to the poor and potential to . states of America. For example, poor has been In pre-industrialization , categorized as the poor laws categorized physically • Blessed Poor : the Bible and other disabled poor and accordingly the provisions religious doctrines regard that poor of social security were made available to are seen as being favoured by the god. them. In the contemporary world. Poverty is mainly defined from three approaches: • Destitute: absolute impoverishment. poverty, capability poverty and 59 60 Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012 as not only economic concept but also poverty Report(2001)defines Development in publicprograms.TheWorldparticipate attend apublic meeting andabilityto to morecomplexsetssuch as abilityto range fromfood,shelter, cloth, minimally adequatelevels. Functioning important functioning up tocertain is the abilitytosatisfybasic crucially or beggars andcapability. Basic capability indulgent poor, able-bodied groups: three poverty defined as deprivationin the spaceofpoorinto (2000) Sen nourished). (calorie requirement for beingawell poverty is based on income or consumption multidimensional viewofpoverty. Income Shambhu Prasad Patel Source: C.B.S. 2011 6. Nepal (other5.Others groups) vi. Limbu “ v. Tamang “ iv. Magar “ iii.Rai“ ii. Tharu “ 4.i. Gurung(Ethnic group) 3.Muslim(Minority group) vi (Dalit) v (Dalit) iv (Dalit) iii. (middle) Ii.(upper) 2. i. (upper) 1.Newar Caste/Ethnicity Table 1:Poverty Incidence by Caste/Ethnicity 1996 45 37 71 59 58 56 48 45 38 68 67 65 40 50 34 25 Incidence of Poverty(%) have littleaccesstopoliticalpower, belowsubsistence level. They most oftherural people havetheir participation and indebtness. Generally isolation due topoorcommunication and life expectancyatbirth, irregular income, illiteracy, highinfantmortalityrate,low land, large family, , ill –health, characterized bylandlessness, too little in ruralareasare The poorpeople participation insocialandpoliticalpower. opportunities, insecurity, alienation ,low , lackofaccesstovarious ite a i dcso mkn .h five .The making major characteristics of poorpeople decision in say little Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Farming,foreign army Various skills Artisan(metal) Artisan(music, tailoring) Artisan(leather) Farming /herding Farming/soldiery Priestly/bureaucracy/ Commerce/ Industry Traditional occupation on the basis of caste and ethnicity. This There is extremepaucityofeconomic data ). of individuals(i.e., , housing and concerned withthephysiologicalneeds also understood as absolute poverty. It is The lackofsatisfactionbasicneedsis Rs 11,929.and non-foodpovertyatRs.7,332. line at Rs.19,261; the food povertyline at Survey 2010/11 estimated averagepoverty below US$2dollar. NepalLivingStandard per person(ii)proportionofpeopleliving of people living to US $ 1.25dollarper day Global povertylinesaresetto(i)proportion powerlessness, as vulnerability (Jnawali,2003). identified isolation, poverty, physical weakness and be can Source :CBS ,2011 providing survey economic databy caste andethnicity. earlier first the probably Nepal Living Standard Survey 1995/96 is ethnicity Past trends in poverty by caste/ Standard Survey2010/11. ethnicity byusingdataofNepalLiving and trends in poverty in Nepal by caste/ to presentrecent article attemptslevels in population censuses until 1991.This was partlyduetolack of caste/ethnic data Nepal 11.others 10.Muslim 9.Janjati(hill) 8.Janjati (hill) 7.Newar 6.(Terai) 5.Dalits (hill) 4.Middle caste(Terai) 3.Brahman(Terai) 2.Chhetri(hill) 1.Brahman(hill) Caste/ethnicity Table 2:Poverty Incidence by Caste/Ethnicity in Nepal 25.16 12.34 20.18 25.93 28.25 10.25 38.16 43.63 28.69 18.61 23.40 10.34 erty line (%) Population below pov - POVERTY INCIDENCE IN NEPAL BY CASTE/ETHNICITY 5.43 3.58 3.38 4.48 6.64 2.07 8.09 10.89 5.36 1.75 5.55 1.73 gap(x100) Poverty havethe highest proportionbelow poverty 68 percent. Hill Dalits (Kami, Damai, Sarki) isthe poorest caste withpoverty incidence of poverty incidence 34 percentof and the Kami ,istheleasttheBahun poor caste with a least in Newar. While comparing the various indicates that theincidence poverty of is disparitysocial groups.of among It clearly NLSS195/96 datafor poverty revealsthe level hierarchypoverty and level.The analysis of strong evidence convergence of between social incidencefor14 caste/ethnic groups.There is Table I shows the indicators povertyof ethnic groupswhichisshowninTable 2. poverty distribution in Nepal by caste/ NLSS 2010/11 providesinformationon Recent levels and trends in poverty (CBS.2004, DFID and ,2005). population was below the natural poverty line NLSS 2002/04 found that 31 percent Nepal’s 0f poverty incidence. most Terai castes lie in between high and low to 71 percent in Limbu,Muslims as well as poverty ranges from 45 percent in Gurung ethnic groupstoo. Within ethnic groups,the tonote that poverty varies widely withinthe line, exceeding64 percent. It is surprising 1.81 1.13 0.85 1.25 2.49 0.70 2.24 4.22 1.47 0.19 1.86 0.48 Poverty gap Squared (x100) 100 0.5 3.5 7.3 24.4 2.5 6.9 15.2 17.6 0.4 16.6 5.2 Distribution of the Distribution of poor 100 0.9 4.3 7.1 21.8 6.2 4.6 8.7 15.4 0.5 17.8 12.7 population 61 Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012 62 Academic Voices, Vol. 2, N0. 1, 2012 more pronounced among the Dalits and hierarchy and poverty. Poverty is markedly is strong convergency between social 11. PovertyiswidespreadinNepal.There the NepalLivingStandardSurvey2010- The latest estimateofpovertyis based on Conclusion caste/ethnicity. a widedisparityinpovertywithin each A detail analysis indicates that there is to 28.25percent in the Hills’ Janajati. ranges from 10.34percent in the Newar within the Janajatishows thatpoverty the Dalits. A simplecomparisonofpoverty Brahman to as high as 38.16 percent in ranges from aslow as 18.61percent in the Similarly, within the Terai castes, poverty Brahman to 43.63percent in theDalits. poverty rangesfrom10.34percentinthe Hills (43.63%). Within the Hillcastes, and highestintheDalitsof (10.34%) Newar (10.25%) followed by the Brahman that povertyincidence is leastinthe castes andethnicities, table 2indicates ethnicities. When comparing allthe and theBrahmanthanothercastes/ rate ismuchlowerintheNewar poverty incidence for Nepalis25.16percent.The According to NLSS 2010/11, the poverty Shambhu Prasad Patel CBS. (2011). CBS. (2004). References eradication ofpovertyinNepal. egalitarian policyfor makers shouldadopt complex andmultidimensional. The policy the Janajati.Thecauses of povertyare Sen, A. (2000). Aof humandevelopment. decade Marshal, G. (2005). Jnawali, D. (2003). Strategiesforrural Friendmann, J.(1992). DFID and World Bank (2005). Citizens without Central BureauofStatistics. : 2, & Central BureauofStatistics. 1 Report, Statistics Journal ofHuman Development, Delhi: OxfordUniversityPress. Studies, appraisal Nepal Journal of Development and Rural geographical A development: politics ofalternative development World Bank. development. for international assessment. Department exclusion social and Nepal rights: 1,22-34. Poverty in Nepal 2010/11. Nepal living standard survey 2003/04 Summary Report. Summary Dictionary of Sociology Dictionary Empowerment: 1 ,...… Kathmandu: Kathmandu: . New York: . New

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