India

Because of the geographic size of India, poverty levels fluctuate from state to state. 75% of the poor are in rural areas. Increasing stress on education, reservation of seats in government jobs and the increasing empowerment of women and the economically weaker sections of society, are expected to contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

An estimated 300 million Indians now belong to the middle class; one-third of them have emerged from poverty in the last ten years. Literacy rates have risen from 52 percent to 65 percent from 1991 to 2001.

A 2005 report concludes that India needs to stay focused on four MDG parameters: reducing number of undernourished people, lowering rates pertaining to under-five mortality, infant mortality and maternal mortality and access to sanitation facilities in urban areas.