UN report says India sees most people lifted out of multidimensional poverty
The United Nations:
About 273 million Indians lifted out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016, according to a UN report, which noted that India had recorded the largest reduction in the number of people living in this category. .
The data, published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Oxford Initiative on Poverty and Human Development (OPHI), show that 65 of the 75 countries studied have considerably reduced their level of multidimensional poverty between 2000 and 2019.
Multidimensional poverty encompasses the various deprivations suffered by the poor in their daily lives – such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate standard of living, poor quality of work, threat of violence and living in areas dangerous for the environment, among others.
Of the 65 countries that have reduced their values for the Multidimensional Poverty Index (PMI), 50 have also reduced the number of people living in poverty. “The biggest reduction has been recorded in India, where around 273 million people have moved out of multidimensional poverty in 10 years,” said the report.
The report indicates that four countries – Armenia (2010-2015 / 2016), India (2005 / 2006-2015 / 2016), Nicaragua (2001-2011 / 2012) and North Macedonia (2005 / 2006- 2011) halved their global MPIT value and did so in 5.5 to 10.5 years.
“These countries show what is possible for countries with very different initial poverty levels. They represent around a fifth of the world‘s population, mainly due to the large population of India,” the report said.
The MPIT is the estimation of the multidimensional poverty index which is based on definitions of harmonized indicators for strict comparability over time.
“Four countries halved their MPI value. India (2005 / 2006-2015 / 2016) did so nationally and among children and recorded the largest reduction in the number of multidimensionally poor people (273 million )”, did he declare.
The report notes that India saw the most people lift out of multidimensional poverty – some 270 million people between 2005/06 and 2015/16.
In a footnote on the number of 273 million people lifted out of poverty, the report states that the number of people living in multidimensional poverty in India is based on demographic data from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs United (UNDESA) (2019), which implies a higher number of multidimensionally poor people in 2006; previous estimates were based on UNDESA (2017).
The report further notes that India and Nicaragua cover 10 and 10.5 years respectively, and during this period the two countries halved their MPIT values in children.
“A decisive change for children is therefore possible but requires conscious political efforts,” he said.
Fourteen countries have reduced multidimensional poverty in all their sub-national regions: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Kingdom of Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Guyana, India, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nicaragua, Nepal and Rwanda.
The report pointed out that while the new figures released show that before the COVID-19 pandemic, progress was being made in the fight against multidimensional poverty, this progress is threatened.
“COVID-19 has a profound impact on the development landscape. But this data – before the pandemic – is a message of hope. Past successes on how to tackle the many ways people experience poverty in their daily lives, can show how to better rebuild and improve the lives of millions of people, “said OPHI director at Oxford University, Sabina Alkire.
Although data are not yet available to measure the increase in multidimensional global poverty after the pandemic, simulations for 70 countries in the developing world, based on the anticipated impacts of the virus on only two components of the global MPI – nutrition and school attendance – suggest what impact the crisis could have unless it is resolved.
In three scenarios of variable deterioration in which 10, 25 and 50% of multidimensionally poor or vulnerable people become undernourished and where half of the children of primary school age no longer attend school, the levels of poverty could be reduced from 8 to 10 years.
“But even if we only consider the impact on nutrition, if the anticipated increases in undernutrition are not prevented or quickly reversed, the setback could vary between 3 and 6 years,” he said.
“COVID-19 is the latest crisis to hit the world, and climate change, but guarantees that others will follow soon. Each will affect the poor in multiple ways. More than ever, we must work to fight poverty – and vulnerability to poverty – in all its forms, “said director of the UNDP Human Development Report Office, Pedro Conceicao.
Data shows that in 107 developing countries, 1.3 billion people – 22% – live in multidimensional poverty. The data also show that the burden of multidimensional poverty falls disproportionately on children.
Half of the 1.3 billion poor people (644 million) have not yet reached the age of 18, while 107 million are 60 or older, a particularly important figure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 84.3% of the multidimensional poor live in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report also indicates that 10 countries represent 60% of unvaccinated children and 40% of children unvaccinated for DTP3 live in only four countries: Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
