Friday, September 21, 2007

The Economics of Begging

In Pakistan;
Beggars in Lahore can earn more than 20,000 rupees a month, by some estimates—a far cry more than the roughly 4,600 rupees per month people earn on average in Pakistan.

In US;
According to Pancoast, begging can be lucrative. He claims the family sometimes makes $300 a day asking for money and has made as much as $800. The family also receives $500 a month in food stamps.

In India;
Out of the 5,000 or so beggars surveyed on the streets by Delhi University's Social Work Department this year, four held postgraduate degrees and begged on weekends to supplement their salaries, six held college degrees, and 796 had studied to the secondary level. In Mumbai, the city's 300,000 beggars collectively earn an estimated Rs180 crore (more than $45 million) a year.

In Indonesia;
"I earn Rp 30,000 a day from begging. I would not get that much if I was still selling vegetables. I also expect to earn more in Ramadhan," she said.

Lelah, 38, also hopes Ramadhan will be a profitable month. She traveled with her three children from Sukabumi to Bogor two weeks ago to start begging at the Baranangsiang bus terminal.


Thanks to FP blog.

No comments: