Niti Aayog’s report reveals decline of poverty in Telangana

♦ District NFHS 4 (2014-16) NFHS 5 (2019-21),

♦ Hyderabad 4.21% 2.52%

♦ Medchal Malkajgiri - 3.06 %

♦ Rangareddy 5.31% 3.83%

Hyderabad: The NITI Aayog’s recent release of the 2023 progress review on the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) reveals a significant reduction in poverty in Telangana. The State stood in 18th place in the country as per the report.

According to data from the National Family Health Survey-5, the poverty rate declined to 5.88 percent during 2019-21, with rural regions witnessing an impressive 12 percent enhancement in living standards. This marks a considerable improvement compared to the poverty rate of 13.18 percent recorded in 2015-16 based on NFHS-4. The districts surrounding the capital region, which include Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri, also witnessed a significant reduction in poverty. The population of the poor is highest in Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad, among the erstwhile 10 districts in the State.

As per the NITI Aayog report, the Multidimensional Poverty Index is based on 12 indicators, and the government’s interventions have shown a noticeable positive influence on all these indicators. These include nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, years of schooling, access to clean cooking fuel, sanitation facilities, drinking water, electricity, housing conditions, possession of assets, bank account ownership, and maternal health in cases of censored headcount. The report highlights that these interventions have contributed to improvements, reducing the proportion of the population experiencing multidimensional poverty and deprivation across these indicators.