Multiple Dimension of Urban Well-Being: Evidence from India

This paper addresses differences in outcomes across households residing in slums and non-slum urban areas of India. Using a nationally representative household data set, they undertake a robust multidimensional evaluation of intracity differences in well-being. They first established that if utility is defined as access to public goods such as water and sanitation, then residents in non-slum urban areas are unambiguously better off than slum dwellers. This finding implies that there is justification for slums garnering a sizable portion of the allocation of water and sanitation programs. [Working Paper No. 11] URL: [http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/wp/pgy/011.pdf]