Multidimensional poverty in India has seen a significant decline over the past nine years—from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23—indicating that nearly 24.82 crore people have moved out of poverty, according to data compiled by NITI Aayog. This was shared by Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh in Parliament on Wednesday.
The term ‘multidimensional poverty’ goes beyond income levels and includes overlapping deprivations in areas such as health, education, and living standards.
Citing the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023’, Singh said that between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the poverty rate reduced from 24.85 per cent to 14.96 per cent, which means about 13.5 crore people were lifted out of multidimensional poverty during this shorter period as well.
The minister also highlighted the government’s comprehensive poverty measurement approach introduced in 2021. The National MPI assesses poverty through 12 critical indicators: nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, bank accounts, and asset ownership.
To support this progress, Singh said the government had implemented large-scale welfare schemes. These include providing tap water connections to 16 crore households and building 5 crore houses for economically weaker sections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier stated in Parliament that “even after 75 years of independence, 75 per cent of households, comprising nearly 16 crore homes, did not have tap water connections.” He added that the current government has provided tap water to 12 crore families in just five years.
He also noted the construction of over 4 crore houses and 12 crore toilets across the country, aimed at improving the quality of life—particularly for women who were disproportionately affected by the lack of such facilities.
