World Bank Report On Poverty: The World Bank's Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief recently acknowledged India's remarkable achievement in combating extreme poverty, highlighting that the country has lifted 171 million people out of it.

• Major Highlights of the World Bank Report:

o Sharp Decline in Extreme Poverty: The proportion of people living on less than $2.15/day fell from >16% in 2011-12 to less than 2.5% in 2022-23, reflecting India’s focus on inclusive development through welfare programs and reforms.

o Extreme poverty: Key states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, responsible for 65% of extreme poverty in 2011-12, contributed to two-thirds of poverty reduction by 2022-23.

o Rural and Urban Poverty Impact: Rural poverty fell from >18% to less than 3%, urban poverty dropped from >10% to about 1%.

 oIndia’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) dropped from about 54% in 2005-06 to 15.5% in 2022-23, reflecting gains in education, health, and living standards.