Prime Minister Modi Cites World Bank Report Showing Sharp Drop in India's Poverty

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted a new World Bank report showing that India has recorded one of the fastest poverty declines in the world. Citing the report titled 'India Poverty and Equity Brief: October 2026', Mr. Modi pointed out that 49.6 crore people moved out of poverty between 2011 and 2023. The extreme poverty rate dropped from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023, measured using the $3 per day threshold at 2021 purchasing power parity. This caused the extreme poverty rate to fall by 90%, going from more than one in four Indians to roughly one in 38. Mr. Modi shared this update on Instagram using the song 'Thaan Liya' from the Bollywood movie 'Dasvi' as background music, stating that this drop represents a generational surge in opportunities.

Additional Figures

Employment grew by 13.4 crore in just six years, which is nearly twice the increase in India's working-age population. Economic inequality also fell sharply during this period, with India's Gini Index dropping by over 20% to reach 23.0. Alongside monetary gains, the World Bank noted that the country made big strides in non-monetary metrics over the past decade.

Political Reactions

During his remarks, the Prime Minister taunted the Congress over its decades-old 'Garibi Hatao' campaign. He asserted that eradicating poverty was never just a slogan for his government, but a steadfast commitment.

Context

The World Bank uses standard international thresholds, such as purchasing power parity, to compare poverty levels across different countries on a fair basis. Reports like this help economists track long-term changes in household income and living standards over multi-year periods.