New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- New Delhi: The government's sustained policy efforts are yielding tangible results, strengthening the foundations for inclusive growth and greater economic opportunity, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday, citing a World Bank report that showed a sharp reduction in India's poverty levels between 2011 and 2023.

As many as 496 million people moved above the lower-middle-income poverty line of $4.20 a day during this period, with the poverty rate declining to 16.1% from 57.7%, according to the World Bank's October 2026 Poverty & Equity Brief. This marks one of the fastest poverty declines in the world, the report said.

Extreme poverty, measured at $3 a day, declined to 2.6% from 27.1% over the sam...