![Poverty of slums at New Delhi Poverty of slums at New Delhi](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/482698051.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
One third of the world’s 1.2 billion poorest people live in India, according to the latest Millennium Development Goals report by the U.N.
India only managed to reduce its poverty rate (the ratio of the number of people who fall below the poverty line and a country’s total population) from 49.4% in 1994 to 42% in 2005 and 32.7% in 2010. By contrast, regional rival China brought it down from 60% in 1990 to an impressive 16% in 2005 and just 12% in 2010.
India also accounted for the highest number of under-five deaths in the world in 2012, with 1.4 million children not reaching their fifth birthday.
“We don’t have to be proud of what we’ve done,” admitted minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla to the Times Of India on Wednesday. “Poverty is the biggest challenge.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- What’s the Best Pillow Setup for Sleep?
- How Improv Comedy Can Help Resolve Conflicts
- 4 Signs Your Body Needs a Break
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com