Richest 10% in India Have Lower Living Standards Than Poorest People in Rich Countries

Data from the World Bank's 2026 Poverty and Inequality Platform shows that the poorest 10% of people in some of the world's wealthiest countries have higher daily income or consumption thresholds than India's richest 10%, as reported by NDTV. The daily income or consumption threshold for India's poorest 10% is approximately $3 per person, while in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Australia, it is $25, $31, $28, and $28 respectively.

A person earning around $10 daily in India falls into the country's richest 10%, whereas the income level of $173 in the United States, $129 in Canada and Australia, and $128 in Germany places someone in India's top 10%. According to India's Economic Survey, a monthly income of approximately Rs. 80,000 places an individual among the top 10% of earners in the country.

According to Ahona Duttagupta, a program associate at the Foundation for Economic Development, India's economic challenges go beyond poverty and income inequality, as incomes remain relatively low across the population. The daily income of $10, which places someone among India's wealthiest 10%, can leave a person among the poorest 10% in countries like Canada, Japan, and the United States.

Duttagupta emphasized that merely improving the living standards of poorer Indians would not be enough to make the country prosperous. She stressed the need to boost productivity and incomes across the economy through better-paying jobs, higher wages, and enhanced business opportunities. To achieve this, she advocated for fostering innovation, allowing experimentation with new ideas, making it easier for successful companies to expand, and simplifying business procedures, taxation, and regulatory requirements.

While India has taken steps to ease compliance and decriminalize minor offenses, further reforms are necessary to help businesses grow and compete internationally. Duttagupta stressed that long-term prosperity depends on raising income levels across the entire population rather than solely focusing on reducing the gap between rich and poor.