According to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) published annually by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, approximately 415 million Indians escaped poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-21.

The report, published on July 11, 2023,  highlights that multidimensional poverty decreased significantly from 55.1 per cent to 16.4 per cent.

The MPI measures various interconnected deprivations in health, education, and standard of living, which directly impact an individual's well-being and quality of life.

India's achievement goes beyond simply reducing poverty; the MDI report reveals a decline in deprivation across all indicators. This signifies substantial progress in health, education, and the standard of living for the country.

The decline in poverty has been consistent across regions and socio-economic groups.

The report emphasises that the poorest states and disadvantaged caste groups, including children, experienced the most significant absolute progress.

Among the three dimensions that measure multidimensional poverty, the "standard of living" contributed the most, accounting for 39.7 per cent, followed by health deprivation at 32.2 per cent and education deprivation at 28.2 per cent.

Despite the remarkable progress, India still has over 230 million people living in poverty. The MDI report emphasises the significance of helping those who are "vulnerable" to multidimensional poverty, as the UNDP defines it.

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In India, this vulnerable group represents 18.7 per cent of the population and includes individuals who are not poor but experience deprivations in 20-33.3 per cent of all weighted indicators.

Around 1.1 billion people globally, or approximately 18 per cent of the total population, are considered acutely multidimensionally poor. The report covers 110 countries to estimate this figure.

Sub-Saharan Africa has 534 million poor individuals, while South Asia has 389 million, making these regions home to most of the world's impoverished population.

The Multidimensional Poverty Index report highlights that children under 18 account for half of the MPI-poor population, totalling 566 million individuals.

The poverty rate among children is 27.7 per cent, compared to 13.4 per cent among adults.