Report Finds One-Tenth Of India’s Population Has Escaped Poverty

India’s fight against poverty is seeing a massive win as a new report found that millions of people have escaped poverty in the past five years.

According to Reuters, a government report from India found that an estimated 135 million people in the country have escaped poverty over a five-year span that ended in March of 2021. That’s around one-tenth of the entire population!

The report used the United Nations’ Multidimensional Poverty Index to determine the rate of poverty in the country. That index looks at 12 indicators, including malnutrition, education and sanitation, to determine a person’s poverty level. Those who are deprived in three or more of the 12 areas are considered “poor.”

Reuters reports that improvements were largely noted in rural populations in India, with people seeing greater access to better nutrition, education, and sanitation.

According to XINHUANET News, Suman Bery, vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog, said: “Improvements in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation and cooking fuel played a significant role in bringing down poverty.”

In 2015-2016, the estimated percentage of people living in poverty in India was about 25%. By 2019-2021, the estimated percentage of people living in poverty in India fell to just 15%!

India works to fight poverty and hunger in the country by offering free grain to around 800 million people. States in India also spend billions to help subsize education, healthcare, utilities and more. Back in 2005, the poverty rate was around 55% of the country’s population, according to Reuters.

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