13.5 crore—that’s the number of people who were lifted out of poverty until 2021. This is according to Niti Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index. This is a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to uplift its citizens from poverty.

Before we get into the findings, what is multidimensional poverty? Traditionally, poverty was measured solely based on income, but it failed to capture other crucial factors affecting people’s standard of living.

Niti Aayog’s National MPI takes inspiration from the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, focusing on health, education, and living standards to give a more comprehensive picture of poverty in India.

The Niti Aayog report suggests that all 12 indicators saw significant improvement. India’s national MPI value nearly halved, and the proportion of people in multidimensional poverty decreased from 24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21. This means approximately 13.5 crore individuals have been lifted out of poverty during this period.

The positive impact was felt across the nation, with rural regions witnessing a reduction from 32.59% to 19.28%, and in urban areas, it went down from 8.65 per cent to 5.27 per cent.

The UNDP’s Global MPI report also highlighted that around 415 million people were lifted out of multidimensional poverty in India within 15 years. “Notably, India saw a remarkable reduction in poverty, with 415 million people exiting poverty within a span of just 15 years (2005/6–19/21),” the report says.

So, what led to this impressive reduction in multidimensional poverty in India? Now, what does the report tell policymakers? Meenakshi Verma Ambwani explains.

Read the full story here

Related Topics