Datanomics: Kerala set to become India's first extreme poverty-free state

But its definition of extreme poverty was based on a lower floor of earning than the World Bank's

Kerala is all set to make history as India’s first extreme poverty-free state on November 1, the 69th anniversary of its formation. The Kerala government does not define ‘extreme poverty’ on the basis of any poverty line, but through multidimensional parameters like access to food, health, shelter and a specified income. China is the only country which claims to have eradicated extreme poverty in 2020. However, its definition was based on a lower poverty line than that of the World Bank and access to similar facilities, as in the case of Kerala.

 

As many as 64,006 families were identified in 14 districts by the Kerala government as living in extreme poverty in 2021. 

Kerala leads the way since 2005

 

Kerala has had the lowest poverty rate out of all Indian states and Union Territories since 2005-06, according to the NITI Aayog’s multidimensional poverty estimates. 

 

According to the Kerala government, around 5,650 families faced extreme poverty in the Ernakulam district in 2021. Additionally, the NITI Aayog’s estimation of multidimensional poverty in the district was recorded at zero for 2019-21. This shows that the state has a more stringent yardstick than the think tank.