India extreme poverty falls to 2.6%, top 10% earn 13 times more than bottom 10%
· India · India Today, Indian Express
India’s extreme poverty rate dropped sharply to 2.6% in 2023 from 27.1% in 2011, lifting an estimated 496 million people above the $3-a-day line, according to the World Bank. The share below the $4.20-a-day poverty line fell from 57.7% to 16.1%, the Bank’s October 2026 Poverty & Equity Brief revealed. However, income disparity remains pronounced, with the top 10% earning around 13 times the bottom 10% in 2023, while the national Gini index stood at 23.0. Employment rose by 134 million, though real earnings have largely stayed flat, underscoring persistent wage gaps and weak job quality. The findings highlight uneven progress, with rural areas still facing higher poverty levels and limited earnings growth.
Why it matters
The drastic poverty decline lifts hundreds of millions out of extreme hardship, reshaping India’s social landscape, yet widening income gaps risk deepening inequality and limiting inclusive growth for the majority.
Read the original report — India Today
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