Introduction:

Traditionally, the measurement of poverty has relied on income levels or, in the absence of income data, expenditure levels. These indicators, known as "poverty lines," represent expenditure levels considered low enough to categorize an individual as impoverished. In India, multidimensional poverty witnessed a decline from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, leading to approximately 24.82 crore individuals escaping poverty during this period. Notably, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the state with the highest number of people escaping poverty at 5.94 crore, followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore and Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore.

Body:

A divergence exists between the Indian Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and the Global MPI. Globally, the MPI employs 10 indicators across three primary domains: (i) health, (ii) education, and (iii) standard of living. Each of these dimensions holds equal weight, contributing one-third to the final index. Health indicators encompass child and adolescent mortality, education metrics include years of schooling and attendance, and the standard of living dimension incorporates household-specific indicators like housing, household assets, cooking fuel type, sanitation, drinking water, and electricity.

The Indian MPI, while aligning with global dimensions, incorporates two additional indicators to reflect national priorities. These additional indicators cover maternal health under the health dimension and bank accounts under the standard of living dimension, according to the NITI Aayog.

Conclusion:

The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value for a given population is the proportion of weighted deprivations faced by individuals experiencing multidimensional poverty divided by the total population. This nuanced approach to measuring poverty, considering multiple dimensions beyond income, provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges individuals face in different aspects of their lives

Other Related Points

What is the basis for this assessment?

How is MPI calculated?