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There is a substantial decline in poverty ratios in India from about 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993. The proportion of people below the poverty line further came down to about 26 percent in 2000. If the trend continues, people below the poverty line may come down to less than 20 percent in the next few years. Although the percentage of people living under poverty declined in the earlier two decades (1973– 1993), the number of poor remained stable at around 320 million for a fairly long period. The latest estimates indicate a significant reduction in the number of poor to about 260 million.