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Land and Income Mobility in Two North Indian Villages: A Note

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  • Rithika Reddy
  • Madhura Swaminathan

Abstract

This paper examines household-level mobility in land ownership and incomes over a 17-year period (2006–2023) in two villages of Uttar Pradesh—Mahatwar in Ballia district and Harevli in Bijnor district—based on panel data from the Foundation for Agrarian Studies’ Project on Agrarian Relations in India. Results show that mobility in land ownership was low in both villages, reflecting persistent agrarian inequality: about three-fourths of households remained in the same landholding class. However, some landless Scheduled Caste households acquired small plots through non-agricultural earnings and remittances, while a few large landowners experienced downward mobility due to division or sale of land. Income mobility, by contrast, was higher, driven by diversification into non-farm employment and migration. The findings reveal a widening disconnect between land-based and income-based mobility, highlighting that while income growth has improved living standards, land concentration and caste-linked disadvantage remain enduring features of rural Uttar Pradesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Rithika Reddy & Madhura Swaminathan, 2025. "Land and Income Mobility in Two North Indian Villages: A Note," Review of Agrarian Studies, Foundation for Agrarian Studies, vol. 15(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ragrar:395217
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Swaminathan, Madhura, 1991. "Measuring Mobility in Wealth: Some Estimates from a South Indian Village," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 53(2), pages 171-183, May.
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