Poverty, Politics, and Fertility
The Anomaly of Kerala
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20337286 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John W Ratcliffe (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1977 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 34 |
| Publication date | 1977-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Hastings Center Report (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0093-0334 • E-ISSN: 1552-146X |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3561025 |
| PMID | 845015 |
| OpenAlex | W1994010458 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 1 |
IO n the surface, the small state of Kerala, located at the southwestern tip of the Indian peninsula, gives little impression that it is playing a significant and exciting role in the Indian demographic context. It is a poor state, even by Indian standards; its per capita income of U.S. $80 is substantially lower than the all-India average of U.S. $110. The daily per capita calorie intake is well below the all-India average;1 on this basis, 90 per cent of the population of Kerala has been classified as malnourished.2 With a population of 21 million in an area of 38,864 square kilometers, the state is extremely crowded. The population density (550 persons per sq km) exceeds even that of Bangladesh (530 persons per sq km). In addition, since its formation in 1956, Kerala's political history has been stormy, including a three-year period of Communist rule. Perhaps because of its history of political turbulence, Kerala has not received much special attention from Indian development planners. Expec,tationsand inputs-have been highest for Maharashtra State, the most industrially advanced state, of which India's premier city of Bombay is a bustling seaport, and Punjab State, the most agriculturally advanced state and home of the Green Revolution. Nevertheless, Kerala has managed to surpass not only these states, but all the Indian states in certain important measures of social development. For example, 60.2 percent of Kerala citizens are literate, compared to 29 percent of all Indians. Life expectancy at birth is 60.9 years, compared to 46.5 for all-India. The crude death rate is 9.2, whereas for all-India it is 16.9. Kerala has an infant mortality rate of 55, compared to 122 for allIndia, and the crude birth rate is 31.9, whereas for all-India it is 37. The anomaly that Kerala presents now becomes clear. It is extraordinary to see such low mortality and fertility rates associated with such high levels of poverty, malnutrition, and population density. How can a population with levels of income and nutrition among the lowest in the world achieve levels of fertility and mortality substantially lower than surrounding populations with similar cultural backgrounds but higher incomes and caloric intakes? Such peculiar demographic behavior is particularly
Economic growth · Economics · Fertility · Political science · Politics · Population · Poverty · Sociology · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Law · Social and Economic Development in India
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PHC in Bangladesh-Too much to ask
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,19 |
| Citation span | 1983 - 2002 (20) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |