A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/2021, the United Nations (UN) said on July 11, highlighting the remarkable achievement by the world’s most populous nation.
Global Multidimensional Poverty Index Update
The latest update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.
Rapid Progress and Success
The report stated that 25 countries, including India, successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years, demonstrating rapid progress. These countries include Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Vietnam.
India’s Achievement
In April, India surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation with 1.4286 billion people, according to UN data. The report emphasized that India witnessed a remarkable reduction in poverty, with 415 million people escaping poverty within just 15 years (2005/6–19/21).
Challenges Amid the Pandemic
The report acknowledged that while poverty reduction is achievable, the lack of comprehensive data during the COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges in assessing immediate prospects.
Progress in India
| Indicator | 2005/2006 | 2019/2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Incidence of Poverty | 55.1% | 16.4% |
| People in Multidimensional Poverty | 645 million | 230 million |
| Deprivation in Nutrition Indicator | 44.3% | 11.8% |
| Child Mortality | 4.5% | 1.5% |
| Deprivation of Cooking Fuel | 52.9% | 13.9% |
| Deprivation of Sanitation | 50.4% | 11.3% |
| Deprivation of Drinking Water | 16.4% | 2.7% |
| Deprivation of Electricity | 29% | 2.1% |
| Deprivation of Housing | 44.9% | 13.6% |
Global Poverty Situation
According to the 2023 release, approximately 1.1 billion out of 6.1 billion people (just over 18%) live in acute multidimensional poverty across 110 countries. Sub-Saharan Africa (534 million) and South Asia (389 million) are home to almost five out of every six poor people.
Efforts and Challenges
The report highlighted that countries with different poverty incidences were able to halve their global MPI value, with India and Congo starting with incidences above 50%. Children under the age of 18 account for half of MPI-poor people (566 million), emphasizing the need to address child poverty and related issues like education and undernutrition.
Data Collection and Future Focus
The report stressed the importance of context-specific multidimensional poverty indices that reflect national definitions of poverty, considering the impact of the pandemic on poverty reduction efforts. The lack of post-pandemic data for most countries limits the understanding of the pandemic’s effects on poverty. Efforts to collect comprehensive data and strengthen policies are required to ensure poverty reduction remains on track.
Call for Improved Data Collection
The Director of OPHI, Sabina Alkire, called for enhanced poverty data collection, emphasizing that the problem is solvable. Gathering data on multidimensional poverty is faster than anticipated, requiring just 5% of survey questions. Alkire urged funders and data scientists to make breakthroughs in poverty data to effectively track and address the interconnected deprivations faced by the poor.
About the Global MPI
The global MPI serves as a poverty index that monitors poverty reduction and informs policy. It captures various dimensions of poverty in people’s daily lives, such as access to education, health, housing, drinking water, sanitation, and electricity. The aim is to eliminate these deprivations and alleviate poverty.
