Rural households grow 100% to 137.1 mln in 1999-2000: RLE

New Delhi, Jun 11 (UNI) The number of rural households has almost doubled to 137.1 millions in 1999-2000 from 70.4 millions since the first Rural Labour Enquiry (RLE) held in 1963-65.

RLE, conducted regularly on quin-quennial basis alongwith the general 'Employment and Un-employment' survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), provide data on the status of the rural labour, employment and un-employment.

The percentage of rural labour households to rural households has increased from 25.4 per cent in 1963-65 to 40.2 per cent in 1999-2000, the seventh RLE report revealed.

It said that the percentage of agriculture labour household to rural household stood at 32.2 per cent against 21.8 per cent in the said period.

The average size of households in agriculture labour households raised to 4.6 from 4.5, whereas it stood at 4.7 against 4.5 in rural labour households.

In addition, the average number of wage-earners in agriculture labour households decreased to 1.8 in 1999-2000 from 2.0 in 1963-65. The similar trend was seen in rural labour households where it fell to 1.7 against 2.0.

UNI