<h1>India's Social Spending Boosts Poverty Reduction; 13.5 Crore Escape Poverty, Inequality Declines, Rural Areas Benefit.</h1> India's expenditure on social services increased from 6.7% of GDP in 2017-18 to 7.8% in 2023-24, contributing to significant social progress. Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, approximately 13.5 crore Indians escaped multidimensional poverty, with the National Multidimensional Poverty Index nearly halving. Rural areas, particularly in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan, saw the most notable improvements. Uttar Pradesh led with 3.43 crore people escaping poverty. The Economic Survey 2023-24 highlights reduced inequality, with declines in the Gini coefficient and the rural-urban divide in monthly per capita consumption expenditure.