1.2 Relative poverty
An increase in relative poverty is also indicated by a worsening of the distribution of income as shown by the Consumer Finance Surveys of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.1 Table 8.4 shows a decline in the share of the bottom 40 per cent and a rise in the share of the top decile for the rural sector.
1 Limitations of these sources in analysing trends in poverty have been shown by Lee, Eddy, “Rural Poverty in Sri Lanka, 1963-1973”, in ILO (1977), op. cit.
Table 8.3 Comparison of Average Per Capita Intake of Calories and Proteins for Low-income Households in Sri Lanka
| Sector |
Households falling in the percentiles
(of income distribution) |
Average per Capita Calorie Intake |
Percent Adequacy of Calorie Intake |
Average per Capita Protein Intake |
Per cent Adequacy of Protein Intake |
| (1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
| Urban |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1969/70a |
0-21 |
1,892 |
86 |
48 |
99 |
| 1973a |
4-13 |
1,425 |
64 |
33 |
69 |
| |
13-35 |
2,217 |
100 |
63 |
130 |
| 1980/81b |
0-19 |
1,479 |
67 |
29 |
61 |
| |
19-33 |
1,624 |
74 |
34 |
70 |
| Rural |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1969/70 |
0-9 |
1,958 |
89 |
41 |
85 |
| |
9-26 |
2,134 |
97 |
47 |
97 |
| 1973 |
7-20 |
1,776 |
81 |
39 |
81 |
| 1980/81 |
0-11 |
1,704 |
77 |
34 |
70 |
| |
11-30 |
1,758 |
80 |
36 |
75 |
| Estate |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1969/70 |
0-9 |
2,266 |
103 |
53 |
111 |
| |
9-35 |
2,354 |
107 |
56 |
117 |
| 1973 |
12-59 |
2,737 |
124 |
59 |
122 |
| 1980/81 |
0-11 |
1,880 |
85 |
40 |
83 |
| |
11-42 |
1,881 |
85 |
42 |
88 |
| Notes: |
a |
The 1969/70 and 1973 data are reported in: J.D. Gavan and I.S. Chandrasekara; The Impact of Public Foodgrain Distribution on Food Consumption and Welfare in Sri Lanka; International Food Policy Research Institute; Washington; D.C, 1979. |
| |
b |
Sahn (1983), op. cit. |
Table 8.4 Relative Share of Income Received by Quintiles of Income Receivers: Rural Sector, Sri Lanka
| Income Group |
1963 |
1973 |
1978/79 |
| (1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
| Lowest |
20% |
3.60 |
535 |
3.49 |
| Second |
20% |
8.75 |
11.60 |
8.60 |
| Third |
20% |
14.18 |
16.95 |
14.11 |
| Fourth |
20% |
22.08 |
23.29 |
20.82 |
| Highest |
20% |
51.39 |
42.71 |
52.98 |
| Gini Coefficient |
0.44 |
0.37 |
0.49 |
Source: Central Bank of Ceylon, Consumer Finance Surveys.
The Gini coefficient of income distribution for the rural sector has increased from 0.37 to 0.49 between 1973 and 1978/79. Other studies which draw upon a wider range of pertinent evidence confirm the trend towards increasing rural poverty1.
1 Wickramasekara, Piyasiri (1983), op. cit; Gooneratne, W., and Gunawardena, P.J., “Poverty and Inequality in Sri Lanka”, in Khan and Lee, op. cit.; and Lee, E. (1977), op. cit.
