The Rising Indian Middle Class after the 1991 Economic Reforms

Abstract: This paper examines the evolution of the middle class in India, particularly focusing on the economic transformation resulting from the 1991 economic reforms. The 1991 reforms are credited with creating an ecosystem that fostered economic diversity and inclusion, laying the foundation for India’s ongoing economic development and the expansion of its middle class. This essay utilizes an income-based classification to define the middle class. Analyzing national sample survey consumption rounds and World Bank indicators, the study traces the changes in income, expenditure, literacy, urbanization, migration, poverty, and unemployment among the Indian middle class from 1987 to 2012.

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