Rapid growth has made a dent on poverty, but perhaps not enough. Over a quarter of our population still lives below the poverty line. Based on National Sample Survey (NSS)’s 61st  4  BIS Review 169/2010  Round, the poverty ratio was 27.5% in 2004–05, with 28.3% in case of rural areas and 25.7% in case of urban areas.
However, these ratios compare well with those in 1993–94 which were 36.0% at All-India level, 37.3% in case of rural areas and 36% in case of urban areas. 42% of India’s population earns less than $ per day on PPP basis. According to some estimates, more than half of country’s wealth is shared by only 10% of the population.