The standard of living in both urban and rural areas of Andhra Pradesh has improved in the last five years, a nationwide survey claimed.
According to National Sample Survey, every person in urban areas in Andhra Pradesh spent Rs 2,238 per month, which is the fifth highest in India, in 2009-10. This marks quite an improvement in the standard of living compared to the tenth ranking that the state had in 2004-05. The data is recorded in the form of monthly per capita consumer expenditure, which indicates the money spent by each person and reflects the standard of living.
AP has fared better than all-India average in the monthly per capita consumer consumption. The state is left behind only by Kerala, where each per person spends Rs 2,413 a month, Maharashra (Rs 2,437), Punj-ab (Rs 2,109) and Karnataka (Rs 2,053). However, AP can draw comfort from the fact that it is still ahead of industrialised states like Gujarat (Rs 1,909) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 1,948). Gujarat, in fact, slipped to seventh position from its fourth rank in 2004-05, while Tamil Nadu lost its sixth rank to end at a distant ninth position.
The standard of living in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh too has improved as the state’s ranking had improved from the fifth position in 2004-05 to fourth rank in 2009-10. The average money spend by each person in rural areas in AP is Rs 1,234 compared to the all-India expenditure of Rs 1,054. On the rural front also, Kerala stood first, followed Punjabm Haryana and AP. The state fared better than Gujarat and TN, which lost their 2004-05 rankings.