Poverty declined rapidly in Assam between 1994 and 2005. Since then, however, Assam’s record of poverty reduction and growth has been among the lowest in the country. Consumption inequality, while low compared to other states, has been increasing. Read Assam - Poverty, Growth and Inequality brief.
A large majority of Assam’s workforce is still on the farm. Although new jobs are being created in the non-farm sector, the pace of job creation remains very slow. Read Assam - Jobs brief.
Progress for Assam’s women and girls has been slow. Maternal mortality is the highest in the country, the child sex ratio is declining, and female labor force participation is lower than in most other states. Read Assam – Gender brief.
Social groups have recorded uneven progress. While the state’s Scheduled Caste populations saw poverty decline rapidly after 2005, its Scheduled Tribe groups saw poverty rise among their people. Some groups have more salaried jobs than others. Read Assam - Social Inclusion brief.
Health and education have witnessed mixed progress. Although Assam can proudly claim some of the lowest levels of open defecation in the country, the state has much ground to cover in improving infant mortality and nutrition. And, while more children are completing secondary school, learning levels have fallen. Read Assam - Health and Education brief.
For a quick snapshot of trends over time across all major thematic areas, refer to Assam- Indicators at a Glance. Readers who are keen to further understand all the indicators selected for this exposition may refer to the Technical Appendix.
To know more about other states read India States Briefs.