13.5 crore Indians escape Multidimensional Poverty in 5 years
Steep decline in number of multidimensionally poor from 24.85% to 14.96%
between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
Rural areas saw the fastest decline in poverty from 32.59% to 19.28%.
India on track to achieve SDG Target 1.2 much ahead of 2030 deadline.
Substantial improvements across all the 12 MPI indicators on ground.
Uttar Pradesh registered the highest decline in the number of poor with 3.43
crore, followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
Improvements in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel
played a significant role in bringing down poverty.
A record 13.5
crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21
as per NITI Aayog’s Report ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress
Review 2023’. The Report was released today by Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI
Aayog, in the presence of Members of NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul and Dr Arvind
Virmani, and BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO NITI Aayog.
Based on the latest National Family Heath Survey [NFHS-5
(2019-21)], this second edition of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index
(MPI) represents India’s progress in reducing multidimensional poverty between
the two surveys, NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21). It builds on the
Baseline Report of India’s National MPI launched in November 2021. The broad
methodology followed is in consonance with the global methodology.
The National MPI measures simultaneous deprivations
across the three equally weighted dimensions of health, education, and standard
of living that are represented by 12 SDG-aligned indicators. 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. Marked improvement is witnessed across all the 12
indicators.
According to the Report, India has registered a
significant decline of 9.89 percentage points in number of India’s
multidimensionally poor from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-2021. The
rural areas witnessed the fastest decline in poverty from 32.59% to 19.28%.
During the same period, the urban areas saw a reduction in poverty from 8.65%
to 5.27%. Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in 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 the States of Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the MPI value has nearly
halved from 0.117 to 0.066 and the intensity of poverty has reduced from 47% to
44%, thereby 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.
The Government's dedicated focus on improving access to
sanitation, nutrition, cooking fuel, financial inclusion, drinking water, and
electricity has led to significant advancements in these areas. All 12
parameters of the MPI have shown marked improvements. Flagship programmes like
the Poshan Abhiyan and Anaemia Mukt Bharat have contributed to reduced
deprivations in health. Initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Jal
Jeevan Mission (JJM) have improved sanitation across the country. The impact of
these efforts is evident in the swift 21.8 percentage points improvement in
sanitation deprivations. The provision of subsidized cooking fuel through the
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has positively transformed lives, with a
14.6 percentage points improvement in cooking fuel deprivations. Initiatives
like Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana (PMJDY), and Samagra Shiksha have also played a major role in
significantly reducing multidimensional poverty in the country. The remarkable
progress achieved through extremely low deprivation rates especially for
electricity, access to bank accounts and drinking water, reflects the
Government's unwavering commitment to improving citizens' lives and creating a
brighter future for all. Consistent implementation across a diverse set of
programmes and initiatives that have strong interlinkages has led to
significant reduction in deprivations across multiple indicators.
The report may be accessed at www.niti.gov.in