PM Modi highlights sharp decline in India’s poverty, cites World Bank report
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted India’s progress in poverty reduction, sharing a carousel of findings from the World Bank’s latest report on poverty in the country.
He described the decline in extreme poverty as a significant achievement, attributing the progress to the government’s commitment to poverty alleviation.
Sharing the carousel on Instagram, PM Modi wrote, “A historic fall in poverty. A generational rise in opportunity.”
One of the slides carried the message: “‘Gareebi Hatao’ was never a slogan for us. It is our commitment…” The statement highlighted the government’s stated focus on addressing poverty through sustained development efforts and welfare initiatives.
According to the World Bank’s India Poverty and Equity Brief: October 2026, India’s extreme poverty rate declined from 27.1 per cent in 2011 to 2.6 per cent in 2023. The report also estimated that approximately 496 million people moved out of poverty during the period, based on the broader lower-middle-income poverty threshold.
The assessment uses an extreme poverty threshold of $3 per person per day and a lower-middle-income poverty threshold of $4.20 per person per day, both measured at 2021 purchasing power parity (PPP).
The World Bank noted that India had made considerable progress in reducing poverty across monetary and non-monetary dimensions over the past decade, recording one of the fastest declines in poverty globally.
The findings reflect improvements in living standards and access to essential services, although challenges relating to income inequality, employment and wage disparities remain.
India’s poverty reduction journey continues to emphasise sustainable livelihoods, economic opportunities, and inclusive development. The report’s findings also renew attention to the need to ensure economic growth translates into better living conditions for all sections of society.