NEW DELHI, June 7: India has made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty, with 269 million people lifted out of extreme poverty over the past 11 years, according to the latest data from the World Bank. The data reveals that India’s extreme poverty rate has fallen drastically from 27.1% in 2011–12 to just 5.3% in 2022–23, marking a significant reduction in poverty levels across the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As of 2022–23, only 75.24 million people were living in extreme poverty, a stark decline from 344.47 million in 2011–12. The World Bank’s assessment, based on the $3.00 per day international poverty line (adjusted for 2021 prices), indicates a broad-based reduction in extreme poverty across both rural and urban areas of the country.
Notably, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, which accounted for 65% of India’s extreme poor in 2011–12, played a key role in reducing overall extreme poverty. These states collectively contributed to two-thirds of the decline in extreme poverty by 2022–23.
The data further highlights a sharp decrease in extreme poverty across both rural and urban regions, with rural poverty falling from 18.4% to 2.8% and urban poverty reducing from 10.7% to 1.1% over the 11-year period.
In addition to this, India has made significant strides in reducing multidimensional poverty. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which measures multiple deprivations in health, education, and living standards, decreased from 53.8% in 2005–06 to 15.5% in 2022–23.
As the BJP-led NDA government completes 11 years in power, PM Modi has credited initiatives like the PM Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat for providing enhanced access to housing, clean cooking fuel, banking, and healthcare, contributing to the fight against poverty.
The government’s focus on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), digital inclusion, and robust rural infrastructure has ensured the efficient delivery of benefits to the last mile, helping over 250 million people break free from poverty.
