Title_ Poverty, Income Inequality and Determinants of Income of the Ethnic Communities of Bangladesh

Author_ Pangkoj Nokrek, Basanta Kumar Barmon, Sanzidur Rahman

Pages 188-201

Abstract_ The study examines the levels of poverty, income inequality and determinants of incomeof five major ethnic communities (i.e., Chakma, Garo, Khasi, Marma and Tripura) of Bangladeshusing a survey data of 250 households. Results revealed that agriculture constitutes72.6% of the total income followed by salaried employment at 13.4% and off-farm income at6.1%. The amount of cultivated land, the share of land rented-in and the number of workingfamily members significantly increase agricultural income whereas education, the numberof working family members and experience significantly increase non-agricultural income.Income is significantly higher for the Garo and Khasi communities and lower for the Tripuracommunity. Income inequality varies across communities with high level of inequalityamongst the Khasi and Garo communities (Gini coefficient 0.39 and 0.35) while the Chama,Marma and Tripura communities have a low and similar level of inequality (Gini coefficient0.23-0.26). Poverty level is high for the Garo community and low for the Chakma andMarma communities. However, the depth of poverty is highest for the Tripura community.Policy implications include investment in education and land and tenurial reform measurestoconsolidate farm size as well as smooth functioning of the land rental market in order toincrease agricultural and/or total household income of the ethnic communities.

Keywords_ Ethnic communities, Income inequality, Poverty, Determinants of income, Multivariate regression model, Bangladesh