The population of Assam is 26.64 million(2001), more than 85% of which live in rural areas.Thestate is one of the poorer states in the country, with anestimated GDP per capita equal to Rs. 12,163, which is lessthan two thirds of the national average (2001-02). Growth inthe 1980-90s has been one of the lowest in the country (justabove 1 percentreal per capitagrowth), although theeconomic situation is reported to have improved in morerecent years. The economy is predominantly rural (40 percentof Net State Domestic Product is from agriculture, and 74percent of the population is engaged in agriculture), and itis heavily dependent on the tea estate sector (800 teagardens that produce 15% of the world tea). Thenon-agricultural principal activity is oil and gasextraction and transformation (there are two oil refineriesin the North-Eastern part of the state, plus a third one isunder construction).Population below poverty line isestimated to be 36 percent, scheduled caste 7.4 percent andscheduled tribe 12.8 percent of the total population.
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