Archive · 18 Dec 2025
Poverty's Many Faces and Measurement Challenges
Poverty is a complex issue that goes beyond just not having enough money.
It can mean not having food, clothes, or a place to live, but it can also mean not having opportunities for education, health, or a say in society.
Different experts have different ways of measuring poverty.
Some look at how much money people have, while others look at what people can actually do with their lives.
In India, poverty has been measured in different ways over time, and there have been efforts to reduce it.
While India has made progress in reducing poverty, it still has a large number of people living in poverty.
Understanding poverty in all its forms is important so that governments and organizations can help those in need.
Poverty is a complex issue that includes lack of food, shelter, health, education, and social exclusion.
Amartya Sen's 'Capability Approach' emphasizes the importance of freedoms and capabilities in defining poverty.
Poverty can be categorized into absolute, relative, capability deprivation, and multidimensional poverty.
India has used various methods to measure poverty, including calorie-based estimates and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
India has seen a significant reduction in multidimensional poverty from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23.
- Who
- Poor people globally, with a focus on India.
- What
- The complex nature and measurement of poverty.
- When
- Historical and contemporary perspectives, with recent data up to 2024.
- Where
- Globally, with a specific focus on India.
- Why
- To understand the extent, causes, and consequences of poverty for effective action.
- Absolute Poverty
- Lacking income for essential items like food, clothing, and shelter.
- Relative Poverty
- Being poor compared to the living standards of the majority in society.
- Capability Deprivation
- Lack of basic capabilities like health, education, and longevity.
- Multidimensional Poverty
- Includes income and various deprivations like education, health, and access to resources.
- Poverty Line (PL)
- A cut-off income level below which people are considered poor.
- Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)
- Captures non-income-based poverty dimensions like education, health, and living standards.
- India's MPI Reduction
- From 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23.
- World Bank Report 2025
- India has made significant progress in reducing extreme poverty.