Inequality in Housing and Basic Amenities in India

The paper analyses inequality in housing conditions for India for two time period 2008-09 and 2012. Housing conditions are important determinants of health status. Access to descent housing and basic amenities is essential to improve health status of people. Given this backdrop, we examine the distribution of housing and basic amenities, namely, drinking water, toilets and electricity, across regions and over time. We also study the determinants of access to these basic amenities. The results show unequal distribution of housing conditions with rich households having higher access to better housing. Under the Millennium Development Goals, the Indian government has worked towards improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation. However, the results of multivariate analysis show that the economic and social background of household determine the access to basic services even in the year 2012.