India’s Extreme Poverty Rate Drops to 5.3%: World Bank Report
India’s Extreme Poverty Rate Drops to 5.3%: World Bank Report
India has made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty over the last decade, with the poverty rate dropping from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, according to the latest report by the World Bank.
The number of people living in extreme poverty fell from 344.47 million (34.4 crore) in 2011-12 to 75.24 million (7.5 crore) in 2022-23 — a reduction of nearly 269 million individuals over 11 years.
The report attributes this sharp decline to policy measures implemented over the last decade, including Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), digital inclusion, and improved rural infrastructure, which enabled quicker and more transparent delivery of government benefits.
Five major states — Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh — played a significant role in this achievement. These states, which accounted for 65% of India’s extreme poor in 2011-12, contributed to two-thirds of the national reduction in extreme poverty by 2022-23.
Government efforts, including financial inclusion, welfare schemes, and targeted subsidies, are believed to have supported over 25 crore citizens in rising above the poverty line.
The World Bank report highlights India’s progress as a major success story in global poverty reduction.
