New Delhi: As per the latest World Bank report, India’s extreme poverty rate fell from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023, elevating approximately 496 million people out of poverty.
The report attributed the fall to rising consumption and higher employment, especially among women. It also mentioned increased social welfare measures, including food subsidies.
During the same time period, poverty at the lower-middle-income threshold of $4.20 a day fell from 57.7% to 16.1%.
At the same time, the report also stressed ongoing challenges, including unemployment among youth, declining real earnings and regional contrasts in poverty levels.
The report also highlighted that youth unemployment rose from 14.6 per cent to 15.9 per cent between the first quarters of FY26 and FY27, notably among young women in rural areas.
As per the report, income inequalities are persisting in the country, with workers in the country’s top 10% earning a higher median income than those in the bottom 10 per cent as per the World Bank India Poverty and Equity Brief (October 2026).