Socio-Economic Status of Slum Dwellers: A Cross-Sectional Study of five slums in Varanasi City

Abstract

The study focuses on the socio-economic status (SES) of slum dwellers in Varanasi city. From the five wards of Varanasi slums, 200 households were interviewed with a predesigned questionnaire. To show the status of the families in the slum, we used Kuppuswamy's socio-economic class. The average score of Kuppuswamy'ssocio-economic status of slum dwellers is 7.7. In Varanasi city, based on the Kuppuswamy SES score, families belong to Upper-lower SES, and their average SES is seven. The states should focus on poverty, unemployment, income, and essential services in city areas. The present study suggests improving the socio-economic condition, which led to improved social, educational, and income status in slums.