New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- The reported decline in India's extreme poverty, from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023, as reflected in the World Bank's October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief, is undoubtedly a major development. Driven by consumption growth, rising employment, particularly among women, and expanded social programmes, it represents, according to the Bank, a substantial improvement in the material conditions of millions of people.

However, the figures need to be examined beyond their statistical significance. India has made considerable progress in reducing extreme deprivation, but the evidence does not yet establish that it has achieved a comparable transformation in the quality, economic security and distribution of household incomes....