Indebtedness

The distribution of total rural household debts between the two categories of households in the rural sector, namely, cultivators and non-cultivators, shows that 74% of the total debt in 2012 was accounted for by the cultivator households, declining from 80% in 1991.

• However, the percentage of cultivator households indebted increased to 35% in 2012 from 26% in 1991 and is a cause for concern.
• Further, the State level analysis of indebtedness among agricultural households based on the size of land holding possessed shows an inverse relationship between indebtedness and the size of land holding possessed by the agricultural households.
• In the States of Bihar and West Bengal, more than 80% of agricultural households with marginal land holdings are indebted.
• Indebtedness is lowest among the agricultural households with large size land holdings in all the States.