Multi-dimensional deprivation in the awakening giants: A comparison of China and India on micro data

This paper compares multidimensional deprivation in India and China during the 1990s and beyond. The analysis is based on unit record data. The paper disaggregates the overall deprivation by categories, and compares the deprivation distribution between the two countries. The study reports that the high growth rates did not translate into an unambiguous improvement in living standards in either country. Deprivation is still unacceptably high in some categories. While rural deprivation is much higher in India than in China, they face similar levels of urban deprivation. China outperforms India on both child and maternal health.