The most important alternative indicator to consider is that of nutrition and calorie intake. Income
poverty estimates in both China and India are implicitly based on calorie intake, since the poverty lines are
derived from the income/consumption expenditure level associated with the ability to purchase sufficient
food to meet some specified calorie intake. In both countries, the per capita requirements on which the
original poverty lines were based were 2400 kcal per day in rural areas and 2100 kcal per day in urban areas,
and these lines have been subsequently adjusted with consumer price indices.