South Asia – poverty
India, the second largest country in the world in terms of population, has experienced an enormous economic boom since the early 1990s and has reached top international levels in growth industries such as information technology, but is still a developing country. According to the HDI, India was ranked 130th out of 188 in 2014 (classified as an average level of human development).
Although India has recorded enormous growth rates in imports and exports in recent years and GDP has increased significantly (+22 percent between 2013 and 2016), millions of Indians live in oppressive poverty. About a third of the Indian population, almost 400 million people, live below the poverty line; the majority of them, around 200 million people, suffer from hunger. The poorest residents of the country either live in the sprawling marginal settlements of the numerous megacities or in particularly rural regions such as the state of Bihar, where no significant industry has established itself, but where agriculture hardly supports a family either can.
In terms of regional differentiation, the north-east of India proves to be particularly badly affected, while the economically strong states in the south and north-west as well as the capital region stand out positively. For more information about the continent of Asia, please check pharmacylib.com.
