India has achieved a significant milestone in its fight against extreme poverty, with the latest World Bank data showing a dramatic decline in the extreme poverty rate from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12 to just 5.3 per cent in 2022-23. 

The number of people living in extreme poverty dropped from 344.47 million to 75.24 million over the 11-year period, indicating that 269 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty.

The progress is attributed to comprehensive policy initiatives and economic reforms over the past decade, particularly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. According to the data, five states—Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh—accounted for 65 per cent of the country’s extreme poor in 2011-12 and contributed to two-thirds of the national poverty reduction by 2022-23.