Homeless People In India Editorial Image

With a population of well over 1 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world. According to UN-HABITAT, India is home to 63% of all slum dwellers in South Asia. This amounts to 170 million people, 17% of the world’s slum dwellers. India`s per capita income, although rising, rank`s it 124th in the world. This low per capita income is one factor that marks the sharp divide between India`s wealthiest and poorest citizens. Approximately 35 percent of India`s 260 million people a group almost equal to the entire population of the United States still earns $1 or less a day. And according to the United Nations, 70 million people earn less than $2 a day. As India continues to grow in economic stature, there`s much debate over the country`s ability to tackle poverty and urban homelessness. A 2001 census reported that 78 million people across India were living without a home, many in overcrowded urban environments.