The country registered a significant decrease of 9.89 percentage points in the number of multidimensionally poor from 24.8% in 2015-16 to 14.9% in 2019-2021, according to the report.
Rural India witnessed the fastest decline in poverty, from 32.5% to 19.3%. In the same period, urban areas saw a reduction from 8.7% to 5.3%.
UP recorded the largest decrease in the number of poor with 3.43 crore people moving out of multidimensional poverty.
The report provides multidimensional poverty estimates for all 36 states and union territories and 707 districts. The broad methodology followed is in line with global practices.
Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the MPI value has nearly halved from 0.117 to 0.066 and the intensity of poverty has dropped from 47% to 44%, thus putting India on the path to achieving poverty. target 1.2 of the SDGs (reduce dimensional poverty by at least half) well before the stipulated deadline of 2030.
“It demonstrates the government’s strategic approach to ensuring sustainable and equitable development and eradicating poverty by 2030, thus adhering to its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” according to an official statement.
The national multidimensional poverty index (MPI) measures the deprivations in health, education and standard of living that are represented by 12 indicators aligned with the SDGs. These include nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets, and bank accounts. A marked improvement is seen in all 12 indicators, according to the report.
“I am happy to note that between NFHS (National Family Health Survey)-4 and NFHS-5, all states and UT have made commendable progress. India’s multi-sectoral approach to tackling poverty has been evident in the reduction of the multidimensionally poor by almost half, accounting for 14.96%, and the improvement in the MPI score highlighted in this issue,” he said. Suman Bery, Vice President of Niti Aayog.
The Center’s focus on improving access to sanitation, nutrition, cooking fuel, financial inclusion, clean water, and electricity has led to significant advances in these areas. All 12 MPI parameters have shown improvements. Flagship schemes such as Poshan Abhiyan and Anemia Mukt Bharat have contributed to reducing health deprivation.
Initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) have improved sanitation across the country. The impact of these efforts is evident in the 21.8 percentage point improvement in sanitation deprivation. The provision of subsidized cooking fuel through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has positively transformed lives, with a 14.6 percentage point improvement in cooking fuel deprivation.
Schemes like Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Samagra Shiksha have also played a crucial role in significantly reducing multidimensional poverty in the country, according to the report.
“The remarkable progress achieved through extremely low deprivation rates, especially for electricity, access to bank accounts and clean water, reflects the government’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of citizens and creating a better future for all. Consistent implementation across a diverse set of programs and initiatives that have strong interlinkages has led to a significant reduction in deprivation across multiple indicators,” the official statement added.
UNDP Resident Representative in India Shoko Noda said the country MPI report outlines the remarkable progress made by India in nearly halving multidimensional poverty between 2015-2016 and 2019-2021, highlighting the country’s unwavering commitment to achieve the SDGs and its determined efforts to address poverty and improve the lives of its citizens. “It is commendable that India’s rural areas and its poorest states have shown the fastest decline,” Noda said in his message about the report.
Look UN Report: India Successfully Halved Global Multidimensional Poverty Index In 15 Years; 415 million Indians lifted out of poverty between 2005-2021