Over the past 10 to 15 years, a number of countries have achieved a sharp reduction in poverty. Despite differences in size, economic systems and cultural traditions, they have shown that with sound policy and attention to people, poverty can be reduced quickly and on a large scale.
India became the global leader in moving people out of poverty thanks to digitalized payments, biometric identification and household support programs. The share of people in poverty fell from 61.8% to 28%, and extreme poverty from 16% to 2%. That represents hundreds of millions of people.
In Tajikistan, once considered one of the most vulnerable countries in Central Asia, the poverty rate fell from 56% to 20%. This was made possible by remittances from migrants, investment in agriculture and infrastructure.
Bhutan directed revenue from electricity exports and tourism to healthcare and education, reducing the number of poor people from 28% to 11.6% in just five years. In Nepal, extreme poverty almost disappeared over 30 years, falling from 55% to 0.37%, thanks to migrant remittances, infrastructure development and education. Indonesia has steadily reduced poverty over 40 years through subsidies, investment in remote regions and support for small businesses, reaching 2% compared with 75%. Mexico and Jamaica achieved noticeable results in just two to five years. Mexico did so by raising the minimum wage and social benefits, while Jamaica benefited from the recovery of tourism after the pandemic and concessional loans for entrepreneurs.
The experience of these countries shows that poverty is not a sentence. With sensible governance and modern support tools, it is possible to ensure that millions of people live with dignity.
