| No | Year | Poverty Line (Rs.) | Poverty ratios as per official methodology (%) | Poverty ratios as per expert group methodology (%) |
| Rural | Urban | Rural | Urban | Combined | Rural | Urban | Combined |
| 1 | 1972-73 | 41 | 47 | 54.1 | 41.2 | 51.5 | - | - | - |
| 2 | 1973-74 | 49.63 | 56.96 | - | - | - | 56.4 | 49.0 | 54.9 |
| 3 | 1977-78 | 60.60 | 69.90 | 51.2 | 38.2 | 48.3 | 53.1 | 45.2 | 51.3 |
| 4 | 1983-84 | 101.80 | 117.50 | 40.4 | 28.1 | 37.4 | 45.7 | 40.8 | 44.5 |
| 5 | 1987-88 | 131.80 | 152.10 | 33.4 | 20.1 | 29.9 | 39.1 | 38.2 | 38.9 |
| 6 | 1988-89 | N.A. | N.A. | 22.5 | 14.2 | 20.4 | 39.2 | 38.4 | 39.0 |
| 7 | 1989-90 | N.A. | N.A. | 20.3 | 13.3 | 18.5 | 33.7 | 36.0 | 34.3 |
| 8 | 1990-91 | N.A. | N.A. | 19.7 | 10.8 | 17.4 | 35.0 | 37.0 | 35.6 |
| 9 | 1991-92 | N.A. | N.A. | 20.5 | 12.9 | 18.5 | 40.0 | 37.6 | 39.4 |
| 10 | 1992-93 | N.A. | N.A. | 22.9 | 13.0 | 20.3 | 41.7 | 37.8 | 40.7 |
| 11 | 1993-94 | N.A. | N.A. | 19.9 | 13.2 | 18.1 | 37.3 | 32.4 | 36.0 |
| 12 | 1994-95 | N.A. | N.A. | 19.3 | 9.5 | 16.6 | 40.7 | 36.6 | 39.6 |
| | |
| Comparative figure on Official Methodology & Expert Group Methodology are based on Table 3.1 on Trends in Incidence of poverty 1987-88 to 1994-95 published in Draft Mid-Term Appraisal of the Eighth Five Year Plan 1992-97,(Sept 1996) p. 60 |
| |
| Figures based on Press Information Bureau Note on Estimates of Poverty, dated 11th March 1997 Annexure I to V Poverty Line with base 1973-74 for different years were reported to be as follows: |
| |
| | Year | Rural | Urban | |
| | 1973-74 | 49.63 | 56.96 | |
| | 1977-78 | 56.64 | 72.5 | |
| | 1983 | 89.45 | 117.64 | |
| | 1987-88 | 115.43 | 165.58 | |
| |
| Source: Report of the Expert Group on 'Estimation of Proportion and Number of Poor', July 1993, pp.60 |
COMMENTS 
Poverty