Over 24.82 crore people in India have escaped multidimensional poverty over the last nine years, according to a NITI Aayog report.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a globally recognised measure, was used to assess poverty beyond monetary aspects. The global methodology of MPI, based on the Alkire and Foster (AF) method, identifies individuals as poor using a universally acknowledged metric designed to evaluate acute poverty.
As per the report, there has been a substantial decline in multidimensional poverty in India, decreasing from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23, a reduction of 17.89 percentage points. Uttar Pradesh recorded the largest decline in the number of poor, with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty in the
“India has registered a significant decline in multidimensional poverty from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23 ie a reduction of 17.89 percentage points. Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor, with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty during the last nine years, followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore, Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore, and Rajasthan at 1.87 crore,” the report said.
The report said that the pace of decline in the poverty headcount ratio using the exponential method was much faster between 2015-16 and 2019-21 (10.66 per cent annual rate of decline) compared to the period 2005-06 to 2015-16 (7.69 per cent annual rate of decline). All 12 indicators of MPI recorded significant improvement during the entire study period. To assess poverty levels in 2013-14 against the current scenario (2022-23), projected estimates were used due to data limitations for these specific periods.
The report said that India is likely to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of halving multidimensional poverty well before 2030.
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