kerala sunset. image: tim willmott
Kerala – how to do quality of life on a low budget
by Tim Willmott : Be the first to leave a comment
The south Indian state of Kerala contradicts many of the current assumptions made about ‘wealth’, ‘quality of life’ and ‘standard of living’:
- despite having an average annual income of around $350 – 70 times less than his American equivalent the life expectancy for a Keralite male is two years less;
- Kerala’s birth rate is falling from 18 per thousand to come in line with the US figure of 16 per thousand;
- as well as providing a model of efficient and sustainable agriculture, producing more than any other Indian state, Kerala is now considered 100% literate, the same as the US and western Europe;
- according to the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI), Kerala rates higher than any other Asian country except Japan, despite being one of the most densely populated places on earth.
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Article by Tim Willmott
Tim is the creator of sustainapedia.com and heads digital publisher Treading Lightly. His interests include nature and wild places, cooking, film, sport and music. He is a poet, writer and commentator.