India’s middle class is actually the world’s poor

[Kashmiri Pandit]

An average Indian Middle Class person earn 30,000-60,000 INR

 

[Chika_Pika]

Ofcourse not everybody in Pakistan makes 1000 rups a day, but last time i was there (about 6 months ago) i talked to alot of average people, shopkeepers, fruit sellers, taxi drivers and many of them said they aim for 1000, if they make 1000 then its been a good day. Some earn a lot more and some earn a lot less - as with any society. I asked a taxi driver how much he had made that day in casual conversation he said 500 but it was a very hot day and he started work late and was feeling to go home after a few more hours).

I think if your earning above 2000 R.s a day then your not doing bad in the subcontinent.

I think you must have put a typing error because i find it hard to see how you can be earning just 1900 (Indian rupees?) a month, thats approx $28



Thats assuming everyone in the family works like in America, in the subcontinent the wife wont be making $10 a day she will be in the kitchen making 10 Chapatis a day, thats 10 Chapaties x 30 = 300 chapaties a month

Fair enough

I never said I earn 10 dollars per day
But i know a lot of people who earn either 10 or below but I certainly don't call them poor

Oops I got it
Corrected
Btw I am talking per capita here

 

[xyxmt]

Here's the cost in India . I live in Chennai , Tamil nadu , btw

Medium bread = 15 rupees
Egg(12)= 51 rupees(4.25 an egg)
Jam(500 gms)=100 rupees
Butter (100 gms) = 40 rupees

total=206 rupees

for 120 rupees , I can get decent food to fill my stomach two/three meals (depending on what I eat ) a day in a small restaurant.
and btw , 4 mbps connection in Chennai costs around 1200 per month . ( my connection is 1200 for 4MBps with Fair usage limit of 100 gb , beyond which my speeds drop to 512 KBps-1Mbps )

thats the point, $2/day you can probably eat bare minimum what what about other things beside eating, one need to wear something, pay electricity and rent, goto work and come back home.

 

[Indika]

We need to stop measuring every thing based on dollar. thats outrightly ridiculous. ppl in rural areas pay very less rent or have their own dwelling like hut or small house. Subsidy given by govt is higher like food grains,free education...etc.

Some of the basic things in india are nearly free bcos of local supply or govt subsidy.
If you take USA, insurance is pretty high, medication is costly, hourly minimum wage is 13$ (varies according to state) which is actually dirt cheap for their economy. Consider a mac book produced in US will never be affordable for their own citizens. college education is pretty expensive affair. (ppl end up running 100K debt and get a avg 40k wages).
cost of owning & operating a car in india is dirtcheap, in USA you will end up paying more insurance.

Only when we import goods from US it becomes expense bcos it is dollar paid. If not we are better off.

Check the exchange rate of dollar vs rupee over period of time , you will see that globalization has only strengthened the dollar.

Until US keeps printing dollar and we peg the rupee value to dollar they have upper hand. The day we decide to move from that system then it will be advantage india.
People may crib that we wont have high tech goods, but we certainly can live without computers,expensive tvs...etc.

The reason why US pushes jobs/goods to india/china is bcos it is expensive in US to do the same.

As some one said "statistics is like a skirt it hides more than what it reveals".

 

[WAR-rior]

PPP is awesome at leveling the playing field and many people who study Economics like myself use it. But there's one problem with it: It doesn't really effect much.

It's true, that $1 in India can buy you $3 worth of stuff in America. But that doesn't mean an Indian who earns $10,000 annually is actually earning $30,000. It's called "Purchasing Power Parity" for a reason, it discusses Purchasing power, not wealth.

So an Indian with $333,000 is not a millionaire.

Now for all your explanation, first define the word POVERTY.

We are talking about being poor or not . And poverty talks about access to basic fundamentals in life irrespective of whether I pay $1 or $100 for the same.

If I get something for $1 then you can't call me poor just because I didn't buy it for $3. That sounds funny and illogical.

 

[The BrOkEn HeArT]

I usually drink cold coffee at McDonald for 140 bucks. Ohh God im very poor indeed. K

 

[Indika]

I usually drink cold coffee at McDonald for 140 bucks. Ohh God im very poor indeed. K

mate you are on the way to be americanized paying 140rs for coffee that you can get for 30-40rs in some restaurant.
Nope as per american economist you are above poverty line as you could afford mac donalds.

 

[cloud_9]

Using a decade old data isn't a Quartzy way of doing stuff.

 

[Manindra]

are you earning $2 a day and then have 4MBPS internet and 150cc bike?
there are people I know where a family of 4 eats in a week compared to what we eat in a day so what you spend on food is different for different people. I remember last time I went to Pakistan the next day I woke before everyone else and was hungry so I thought i would goto bakery and get some bread and stuff. I had 200 rupees in my pocket I asked for a medium bread, 12 eggs, a jam and small butter...asked how much and my jaw dropped, he was asking for Rs. 275...knew that bakery wala since my childhood so i said keep 200 i will give you rest later. Now I know Indian Rupee is stronger so all this should cost Rs150. what do you eat for Rs 120 is my question!!

Not know about local but International food franchisee take Pakistani a good ride.
Once I have argument with @DESERT FIGHTER for KFC price as he is satisfied with price charged in Pakistan but its twice expensive compared to India (here in India KFC are expensive compared to local food outlets).

thats the point, $2/day you can probably eat bare minimum what what about other things beside eating, one need to wear something, pay electricity and rent, goto work and come back home.

Electricity, public transportation are heavily subsidized.
Here in Tirupur, you have to pay only INR 7 for 12-13 km bus ride.

 

[WAR-rior]

I usually drink cold coffee at McDonald for 140 bucks. Ohh God im very poor indeed. K

That's 250 PKR. You mean any Pakistani slowness less than 250 PKR on coffee is poor?
Ok.

 

[xyxmt]

Not know about local but International food franchisee take Pakistani a good ride.
Once I have argument with @DESERT FIGHTER for KFC price as he is satisfied with price charged in Pakistan but its twice expensive compared to India (here in India KFC are expensive compared to local food outlets).
.

its not just the franchise but but Pakistani businesses are on high profit rides lately, besides there is difference in pkistani and indian currency

Electricity, public transportation are heavily subsidized.
Here in Tirupur, you have to pay only INR 7 for 12-13 km bus ride.

I thought we were talking about $2/day living, thats Rs 120 per day

 

[Manindra]

its not just the franchise but but Pakistani businesses are on high profit rides lately, besides there is difference in pkistani and indian currency

Currency exchange rate taken into consideration.

I thought we were talking about $2/day living, thats Rs 120 per day

Current exchange rate would be nearly 133 INR.