Social situation Extreme wealth and extreme poverty

Fourteen per cent of the Indian population is malnourished or undernourished. Almost one in three children under the age of five is stunted as a result of chronic malnutrition. This not only impacts their personal development opportunities, but also has severe consequences for the country’s economy and society. Child mortality in India is at a similar level to its neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh, both of which are counted among the world’s least developed countries (LDCs).

Public spending on education and health is still insufficient to meet the needs of the entire population. The quality of the services offered is often still inadequate. Despite impressive expansion, the country’s infrastructure remains inadequate: a large proportion of the population has only inadequate access to clean drinking water, sanitation, decent housing, waste disposal and transport. For example, over 20 per cent of India’s people do not have their own toilet. Of the country’s 520 million urban residents, around half live in slums with correspondingly poor infrastructure and services.