New Delhi, August 20; Among various religious groups, Muslims have the lowest living standard with the average per capita expenditure of just Rs. 32.66 in a day, says a government survey.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Sikh community enjoys a much better lifestyle as the average per capita spending among them is Rs. 55.30 per day, while the same for Hindus is Rs. 37.50. For Christians it is Rs. 51.43.
“At all-India level, the average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) of a Sikh household was Rs. 1,659 while that for a Muslim household was Rs. 980 in 2009-10,” said a study titled “Employment and Unemployment Situation Among Major Religious Groups in India” by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).
The average household MPCE is a proxy for income and reflects the living standard of a family.
According to the study, the average MPCE for Hindus and Christians were Rs. 1,125 and Rs. 1,543, respectively.
The survey said that average monthly per capita consumption at all-India level was Rs. 901 in villages and Rs. 1,773 in cities. Overall, the average MPCE was Rs. 1,128.
Muslims were at the bottom in rural areas, with an average MPCE of Rs. 833, followed by Hindus at Rs. 888, Christians at Rs. 1,296 and Sikhs Rs. 1,498.
In urban areas, Muslims’ average MPCE was also the lowest at Rs. 1,272 followed by Hindus at Rs. 1,797, Christians Rs. 2,053 and Sikhs at Rs. 2,180.
