Millions in India out of poverty, says official report

AROUND 10 per cent of India’s population or nearly 135 million people, escaped poverty in the five years to March 2021, a government report found on Monday (17).

Rural areas saw the strongest fall in poverty, according to the study. It used the United Nations’ Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), based on 12 indicators such as malnutrition, education and sanitation. If people are deprived in three or more areas, they are identified as “MPI poor.”

“Improvements in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation and cooking fuel played a significant role in bringing down poverty,” said Suman Bery, vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog, the government think-tank that released the report. The percentage of the population living in poverty fell to 15 per cent in 2019-21 from 25 per cent in 2015- 2016, according to the report, which was based on the 2019- 2021 National Family Health Survey.

A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released last week said the number of people living in multidimensional poverty fell to 16.4 per cent of India’s population in 2021 from 55 per cent in 2005. According to UNDP estimates, the number of people, who lived below the $2.15 per day poverty line had declined to 10 per cent in India in 2021.