What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to analyze the consumption patterns of the urban lower middle class during economic shocks.

April 8, 2026The Indian Economic Journal0 citations

Economic Shocks and the Urban Lower Middle Class in Kerala: Some Theoretical and Empirical Insights on Transitory Poverty

Key Points

The research aims to analyze the consumption patterns of the urban lower middle class during economic shocks.
Comparative analysis of consumption between urban and rural lower middle class and the poor
Data collection during the lockdown period
Evaluation of food consumption changes based on current stock of food grains and pulses
The urban lower middle class reduced food consumption more than the poor and rural lower middle class.
Findings indicate a significant need for a temporary social safety net to alleviate transitory poverty.

Abstract

This study examines the consumption behaviour of the urban lower middle class (ULMC) amid economic shocks like recessions and pandemics by considering the rural lower middle class (RLMC) and the poor (both urban and rural) as reference categories. From the data collected during the period of lockdown, the study found that the ULMC was forced to prune food consumption significantly higher than the poor and RLMC, which is proxied in the study in terms of the current stock of food grains and pulses. It is suggested that a powerful stimulus in terms of a temporary social safety net is a necessity to get the ULMC out of a vicious circle and transitory poverty. JEL Codes: I30, 132, I38, R20

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