13.5 cr Indians escape multidimensional poverty in 5 yrs: Niti Aayog report

NEW DELHI: As many as 13.5 crore individuals in India moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21, according to a NITI Aayog report. The report 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023' was released on Monday by the government think tank's Vice-Chairman Suman Bery, in the presence of Members of NITI Aayog VK Paul and Arvind Virmani, and BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO NITI Aayog. According to World Bank, multidimensional poverty is poverty beyond monetary deprivations, including access to education and basic infrastructure. The report prepared based on the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21, according to Niti Aayog, represents India's progress in reducing multidimensional poverty between the two surveys, NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21). The broad methodology followed is in consonance with the global methodology.

According to the Report, India has registered a significant decline of 9.89 percentage points in a number of India's multidimensionally poor from 24.85 per cent in 2015-16 to 14.96 per cent in 2019-2021. Notably, the report said the rural areas witnessed the fastest decline in poverty from 32.59 per cent to 19.28 per cent. During the same period, the urban areas saw a reduction in poverty from 8.65 per cent to 5.27 per cent.

Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor with 3.43 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty. Providing multidimensional poverty estimates for the 36 States and Union Territories and 707 Administrative Districts, the Report states that the fastest reduction in the proportion of multidimensional poor was observed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value has nearly halved from 0.117 to 0.066 and the intensity of poverty has reduced from 47 per cent to 44 per cent, thus setting India on the path of achieving the SDG Target 1.2 (of reducing multidimensional poverty by at least half) much ahead of the stipulated timeline of 2030. "It demonstrates the Government's strategic focus on ensuring sustainable and equitable development and eradicating poverty by 2030, thereby adhering to its commitment towards the SDGs," Niti Aayog said in a release.