United Nations: About 273 million Indians moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-6 and 2015-16. This fact has been published in a United Nations (UN) report. The report states that India has recorded the largest reduction in the number of people living in poverty.
The data has bee, released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). It shows that 65 out of 75 countries studied significantly reduced their multi-dimensional poverty levels between 2000 and 2019.
Multi-dimensional poverty encompasses the various deprivations experienced by poor people in their daily lives. They include poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standards, poor quality of work and the threat of violence.
“The largest reduction was in India. There approximately 273 million people moved out of multidimensional poverty over 10 years,” the report said.
The report said that four countries – Armenia, India, Nicaragua and North Macedonia halved their global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPIT) value. “These countries show what is possible for countries with very different initial poverty levels. They account for roughly a fifth of the world’s populace, mostly because of India’s large population,” the report said.
“Four countries halved their MPI value. India (2005/2006–2015/2016) did so nationally and among children. It had the biggest reduction in the number of multi-dimensionally poor people (273 million),” the report added.
The report noted that India saw the most people moving out of multidimensional poverty. It was close to 270 million people between 2005/06 and 2015/16.
Fourteen countries reduced multi-dimensional poverty in all their subnational regions, the report said. They are Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Kingdom of Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Guyana, India, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nicaragua, Nepal and Rwanda.
The report stressed that the new figures released were before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. However, now the progress will be affected due to the devastating effect of coronavirus.
“COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the development landscape. But this data – from before the pandemic – is a message of hope. Past success stories on how to tackle the many ways people experience poverty in their daily lives is a way forward,” Director of OPHI at the University of Oxford, Sabina Alkire said.
“COVID-19 is the latest crisis to hit the globe, and climate change all but guarantees more will follow soon. Each will affect the poor in multiple ways. More than ever, we need to work on tackling poverty – and vulnerability to poverty – in all its forms,” Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP Pedro Conçeicão said.