In India, the gap between rural and urban areas has been growing not only in terms of per capita income but also in terms of literacy, access to drinking water, sanitation and health services. Against this background, the present regional study analyses the pace and extent of rural-urban disparity in the state of Uttar Pradesh and the factors contributing to the same with the help of both macro and primary level data. The study provides an understanding of various dimensions such as access to drinking water, educational attainment, utilisation of health services, access to electricity and income. It is found that there has been an increase in disparity between rural and urban areas. There has also been evidence in support of rural-urban continuum. The villages closer to towns were better off in terms of income.

The study forms a part of a larger national level project undertaken by the National Institute of rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, India.