Fact check: Post Title: In 12 years, India has lifted 302 million people from poverty, nearly a whole of USA Original Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/r/incredible_indians/s/Te2RRANdTd

1. Summary of the results

The claim that India lifted 302 million people from poverty in 12 years receives mixed support from available sources. One government source directly supports this figure, stating that nearly 302 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2011-12 and 2022-23 ^[1]. However, multiple other sources provide significantly different numbers.

The World Bank data presents conflicting figures: one source reports that India lifted 171 million people from extreme poverty in the decade between 2011-12 and 2022-23 ^[2], while another Economic Times report cites 170 million people lifted out of poverty in the same timeframe ^[3]. A Times of India source provides a middle ground, stating that almost 270 million people have been lifted above the poverty line in a span of 10 years ^[4].

The comparison to "nearly a whole of USA" appears accurate, as the US population is approximately 330 million people, making 302 million indeed close to the entire US population.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits several crucial contextual factors that paint a more complex picture of India's poverty situation:

• Different poverty measurement standards: The discrepancy between 302 million ^[1] and 170-171 million ^{[2] [3]} likely stems from different definitions of poverty - with some sources measuring "extreme poverty" while others use broader poverty metrics.
• Ongoing poverty challenges: Despite the claimed progress, India's poverty rate remained at 28.1% in 2022 according to World Bank data ^[5], indicating that substantial poverty persists.
• Inequality concerns: Sources highlight that India continues to face high wage disparity and possible underestimation of consumption inequality ^[5], suggesting that poverty reduction may not tell the complete story of economic progress.
• Quality of poverty: Comparative analysis shows that while India has more extreme poverty, different types of poverty exist globally - for instance, the US faces more debt-ridden poverty ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement exhibits several potential biases:

• Cherry-picking favorable data: By citing the highest figure (302 million) without acknowledging that World Bank sources report significantly lower numbers (170-171 million), the statement may be selectively using government data that presents the most favorable narrative (p1_s2 vs p2_s1, p2_s3).
• Lack of methodological transparency: The statement doesn't specify whether it's referring to extreme poverty, multidimensional poverty, or other poverty measures, which is crucial given the wide variation in reported figures.
• Political motivation: Government sources and political parties would benefit from promoting higher poverty reduction numbers to demonstrate policy success, while opposition parties like Congress actively challenge these claims by highlighting persistent inequality ^[5].
• Oversimplification: The dramatic comparison to "nearly a whole USA" creates an impressive soundbite but ignores the complexity of poverty measurement and the ongoing challenges faced by hundreds of millions who remain in poverty.

The Indian government and ruling party would significantly benefit from society accepting the higher 302 million figure, as it supports their narrative of successful governance and economic policy implementation.