By Martin Shwenk Leade
India has been ranked as one of the most equal countries globally when it comes to income, according to the latest data released by the World Bank. With a Gini Index of 25.5, India now stands fourth in the world for income equality, behind only the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Belarus.The Gini Index measures how income is distributed in a country. A score of 0 means perfect equality, while 100 means maximum inequality. India鈥檚 new score places it ahead of developed countries like China (35.7) and the United States (41.8), as well as all G7 and G20 nations. Back in 2011, India’s Gini Index was 28.8, showing steady improvement over the years.What is driving India鈥檚 equality success?The Ministry of Social Welfare said in a statement, 鈥淭his shows how India’s growth is being shared more fairly among its people. The government has focused on reducing poverty, increasing financial access, and giving welfare help directly to those who need it.鈥滷rom 2011 to 2023, 171 million Indians moved out of extreme poverty, as per the World Bank鈥檚 Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief. The extreme poverty rate dropped from 16.2% to just 2.3%, based on the global poverty line of USD 2.15 per day.Key government schemes making a difference:Live EventsPM Jan Dhan Yojana: Over 55 crore bank accounts opened to boost financial inclusion.Aadhaar: India鈥檚 digital ID now covers 142 crore people, helping deliver welfare directly through Direct Benefit Transfers, which saved Rs 3.48 lakh crore by March 2023.Ayushman Bharat: Free health coverage of Rs 5 lakh for families; over 41 crore health cards issued.Stand-Up India: Helps SC/ST and women entrepreneurs with loans and support.PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Provides help for artisans through training and loans.PMGKAY (Free Food Scheme): Supports over 80 crore citizens with food security.Inputs from ANI(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
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(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onindia income equalityworld bank gini indexindia gini score 2025most equal countriesindia poverty reductionglobal poverty report 2025jan dhan yojana impactdirect benefit transfer indiaayushman bharat successindia vs us income gap(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless
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