The correct option is 2, 3 and 4 only.
Explanation
Average Income, or Per Capita Income, is calculated by dividing the total income of a country by its total population. While it is a standard metric for comparing the economic output of nations, it is widely recognized as an insufficient measure of overall human development and welfare due to its inability to capture distributional and qualitative aspects of life.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: Average income yields a single arithmetic mean. It does not provide a breakdown or structural analysis of how income is distributed across different deciles of the population. It offers no insight into the earning patterns of specific groups.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Development encompasses material well-being as well as non-material factors such as freedom, security, health, education, and social respect. Average income is a purely monetary figure and fails to reflect these critical non-material components of a high quality of life.
- Statement 3 is Correct: The metric does not account for the equitable distribution of resources. A country with high average income may still suffer from extreme inequality, where resources are concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority lack access.
- Statement 4 is Correct: By averaging the total income over the total population, this measure smooths out extremes. Consequently, it hides the disparities between the rich and the poor, potentially portraying a country as prosperous even if a significant portion of its population lives in poverty.
Key Takeaway:
While Average Income indicates the general economic level of a country, it is limited because it ignores income inequality (distribution) and excludes non-material indicators of well-being required for holistic human development.