India’s Multidimensional Poverty Plunges to 11% in Nine Years

New Delhi:

India has witnessed a dramatic reduction in multidimensional poverty (MDP), with the proportion of poor falling from 29.17 per cent in 2013–14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022–23, according to figures compiled by NITI Aayog. Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh shared the data in the Lok Sabha, noting that roughly 24.82 crore people have escaped multidimensional poverty over the period.

The multidimensional poverty index (MPI), first introduced in 2021, captures a wider range of deprivations beyond the conventional income measures. It includes twelve indicators across health, education and living standards, spanning nutrition, child and maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, access to cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, banking and asset ownership.

According to NITI Aayog’s “National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023”, between 2015–16 and 2019–21 the poverty rate fell from 24.85 per cent to 14.96 per cent, lifting around 13.5 crore people out of deprivation during that interval.

The decline has been most pronounced in traditionally poorer states. Uttar Pradesh led the charge, with 5.94 crore individuals moving above the MDP threshold, followed by Bihar (3.77 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.30 crore) and Rajasthan (1.87 crore). NITI Aayog noted that poorer states experienced a faster rate of decline, helping reduce interstate disparities.

The MPI’s sharper fall between 2015-16 and 2019–21, at an annualised rate of 10.66 per cent, marks a significant acceleration compared with the 7.69 per cent average from 2005–06 to 2015–16. All twelve indicators assessed by the MPI saw marked improvement during the nine‑year period.

Government initiatives are credited for this achievement. Schemes such as Poshan Abhiyan, Anemia Mukt Bharat, Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, and the Targeted Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act were highlighted as key contributors. Together, these covered nutrition, sanitation, clean cooking fuel, electricity, safe housing, banking access and food security.

NITI Aayog’s discussion paper states that, if current trends continue, India is likely to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of halving multidimensional poverty well before 2030.

Global context reinforces this progress. The World Bank’s Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief reports that extreme poverty in India dropped from 16.2 per cent in 2011–12 to 2.3 per cent in 2022–23, lifting some 171 million people above the poverty line. The Bank also notes that despite raising its international poverty threshold from USD 2.15 to USD 3 per day, India still registered sharp improvements, reflecting resilience and sustained economic growth.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s 2022–23 household survey further shows consumption-based poverty rates of 7.2 per cent in rural areas and 4.6 per cent in urban India, using revised threshold lines.

While the achievements are substantial, observers caution that nearly 11 per cent of the population, over 150 million people, remain multidimensionally poor. The focus must now shift towards addressing remaining disparities in access and quality of services, especially among the most vulnerable groups.

As India moves closer to its goal of becoming a developed nation by its centenary year, continued efforts in social protection, economic inclusion and infrastructure development will be vital to ensure that progress is universal and sustainable.