Executive Summary:
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 508 regarding calorie and expenditure-based poverty lines, answered on July 23, 2025. It clarifies the government's stance on poverty measurement, addresses concerns about food deprivation, and outlines the use of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The response also details the Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Response to Concerns:**
* The Indian Express report referenced in the question does not exist with the mentioned content and date (01.06.2025).
* **Poverty Measurement:**
* India uses the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) since 2021, covering health, education, and standard of living with 12 indicators.
* The MPI measures both the proportion of people in poverty and the degree of their deprivation.
* The proportion of multidimensionally poor declined from 24.85 in 2015-16 to 14.96 in 2019-21; approximately 135.5 million people escaped poverty.
* Multidimensional poverty declined from 29.17 in 2013-14 to 11.28 in 2022-23; approximately 24.82 crore people escaped poverty.
* India is on track to achieve SDG target 1.2 well before 2030.
* **Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES):**
* The NSO conducted HCES in August 2022-July 2023 and August 2023-July 2024.
* These surveys collect data on consumption of around 405 food and non-food items including education and medical expenses.
* The reports of HCES 2022-23 and HCES 2023-24 were released in June 2024 and January 2025, respectively.
* **Data Validation and Improvement:**
* MoSPI employs robust survey mechanisms with periodic improvements.
* Committees/Working Groups with experts from various fields review and validate official statistics.
Impact Analysis:
* **Government of India (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation):**
* Impact: Accountable for responding to parliamentary questions and demonstrating efforts in poverty reduction measurement and data collection.
* Action Required: Continue to refine poverty measurement methodologies, conduct regular surveys (HCES), and ensure data validation through expert committees.
* **NITI Aayog:**
* Impact: Responsible for releasing and utilizing the National MPI report.
* Action Required: Continue to publish and analyze MPI data to inform policy decisions related to poverty reduction.
* **National Statistics Office (NSO):**
* Impact: Responsible for conducting the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey.
* Action Required: Continue to conduct HCES surveys, ensuring data accuracy and comprehensiveness.
* **Central Ministries/Departments, State/UTs, Academia, Research Institutions, Economics and Finance Experts:**
* Impact: Provide expertise in reviewing and validating official statistics.
* Action Required: Participate actively in Committees/Working Groups to contribute to the improvement of data collection and analysis methods.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for statistics and programme implementation. Also referred to as MoSPI.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD: A member of the Lok Sabha who raised the question about poverty measurement.
Multidimensional Poverty Index MPI: A comprehensive index developed by the Government of India to measure poverty by capturing overlapping deprivations in health, education, and standard of living.
NITI Aayog: A policy think tank of the Government of India responsible for releasing the National MPI Report and discussion papers on multidimensional poverty.
Household Consumption Expenditure Survey HCES: A survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under MoSPI to collect information on household consumption expenditure.
National Statistics Office NSO: The statistical organization under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) responsible for conducting surveys like the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES).
SDG target 1.2: Sustainable Development Goal target 1.2, which aims to reduce poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 508
TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025
CALORIE AND EXPENDITURE BASE POVERTY LINE
508. SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD:
Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the report published in the
Indian Express dated 01/06/2025 highlighting that
calorie/expenditure-based poverty lines hide widespread food
deprivation, as up to 40% of rural and 20–30% of urban households
cannot afford two basic meals daily;
(b) the details of reason for continuing to rely on poverty indicators
that ignore key household expenses like healthcare and
education that reduce food consumption, details of any
alternative method in place;
(c) whether the Government has considered adopting a Thali based
consumption to check real deprivation for targeted welfare
scheme, if so, the details thereof;
(d) the details of the steps that have been taken since the Household
Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023 report to reform
poverty measurement to include tangible food access and dietary
quality; and
(e) the details of the bodies/committees responsible for poverty data
collection to ensure poverty reduction along with the data on
poverty during the last ten years, State and district-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF
STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF
STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE [RAO
INDERJIT SINGH]
(a) to (e): Sir, the Indian Express dated 01/06/2025 does not contain
any report which highlights that calorie/expenditure-based povertylines hide widespread food deprivation, as up to 40% of rural and 20–
30% of urban households cannot afford two basic meals daily.
In 2021, the Government of India has developed a comprehensive
index known as Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to measure
poverty by capturing overlapping deviations in dimensions such as
health, education and standard of living, covering 12 indicators. It
measures both the share of people in poverty and the degree to which
they are deprived. The second edition of the index was released in
2023. As per the National MPI Report, 2023 released by NITI Aayog,
the proportion of population in multidimensional poverty declined from
24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21, indicating that about
135.5 million persons have escaped poverty during the period. Further,
as per the discussion paper ‘Multidimensional Poverty in India since
2005-06' published by NITI Aayog, multidimensional poverty in India is
estimated to have declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-
23 indicating that 24.82 crore people have escaped poverty during this
period. It is a major contribution towards achieving SDG target 1.2
that aims to reduce "at least by half the proportion of men, women
and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions
according to national definitions" . This indicates that India is well on
course to achieve the SDG target 1.2 much ahead of 2030.
National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics &
Programme Implementation (MoSPI) conducted two back-to-back
surveys on Household Consumption Expenditure during August, 2023-
July, 2024 and August, 2022-July, 2023 wherein information on
consumption of around 405 food and non-food items by the household
have been collected including education, medical, etc. The reports of
HCES 2022-23 and HCES 2023-24 have been released in June 2024 and
January 2025 respectively.
Robust and well-defined mechanisms are employed in surveys of
MoSPI which undergo periodic improvements based on evolving
needs, feedback, and advancements in methodologies to enhance
their effectiveness. For the purpose of reviewing and validating official
statistics, MoSPI has constituted Committees/Working Groups (WG)
which consist of expert members from various spheres such as
Central Ministries/Departments, State/UTs, academia, research,
economics, finance, etc.
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