The dramatic reduction in poverty pushed the population living below the $4.20 daily threshold down from 57.7% to 16.1% over twelve years. Despite adding approximately 134 million workers between 2017 and 2023, substantial job creation occurred in low-productivity fields that failed to raise real earnings. Furthermore, poverty remains concentrated regionally, with a contiguous belt running from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal holding roughly 57% of the nation's poor.
Key points
Severe geographic imbalances persist, with more than half of all impoverished citizens re…: Severe geographic imbalances persist, with more than half of all impoverished citizens residing between Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Job expansion largely driven by rural women failed to improve living standards due to sta…: Job expansion largely driven by rural women failed to improve living standards due to stagnant real wages in low-productivity sectors.
Actual income inequality may be substantially worse than measured because wealthy househo…: Actual income inequality may be substantially worse than measured because wealthy households are potentially underrepresented in recent economic surveys.
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Amid heaps of trash, countless underprivileged children in India sort waste to earn a meager living, an invisible workforce fueling the country’s recycling economy.
NEW DELHI: India has lifted an estimated 496 million people out of poverty between 2011 and 2023, recording one of the world's fastest declines in poverty over the period. However, significant income inequality persists, with workers in the country's top 10% earning a median income nearly 13 times higher than those in the bottom 10%, according to the World Bank's October 2026 India Poverty and Equity Brief.The report highlights India's progress in reducing both extreme and multidimensional poverty but flags persistent challenges such as stagnant real wages, poor employment quality and unequal access to economic opportunities.Sharp decline in povertyThe share of India's population living below the lower-middle-income poverty line of $4.20 a day, measured at 2021 purchasing power parity (PPP), fell sharply from 57.7% in 2011 to 16.1% in 2023.Extreme poverty also witnessed a significant decline. The proportion of people living on less than $3 a day dropped from 27.1% to 2.6% during the same period.Rural…
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