PUBLISHED: 8 Nov 2024 at 05: 30
According to the 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index ( MPI), many Thais still live in substandard living conditions, including those who live in rural areas, despite Thailand’s efforts to reduce the number of people who are living in poverty by half in just seven years.
The index, which was created by the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Institute ( OPHI), attempts to provide a multidimensional view of the most recent global poverty situation.
It looks at several factors beyond financial income, such as protein, child mortality, school attendance, access to education, healthcare, suitable housing, sanitation, safe drinking water, and electricity.
According to the 2024 MPI, which examines 112 nations worldwide, about 1.1 billion out of 6.3 billion persons live in chronic comprehensive poverty.
Thailand has made extraordinary progress in addressing the issue of hunger, having halved the number of people living in such a condition in only seven ages– from 909, 000 in 2012 to 416, 000 in 2019.
As of 2022, the number had dropped more to 352, 000.
The statement said the progress was made possible by the president’s drive to increase access to basic accommodation, diet, and training.
Among Southeast Asian countries covered in the 2024 MPI, Thailand performed the best with a score of 0.0002, followed by Vietnam ( 0.008 ), Indonesia ( 0.014 ), the Philippines ( 0.016 ), Cambodia ( 0.070 ), Laos ( 0.108 ), and Myanmar ( 0.176 ).
But, the rate of comprehensive poverty in Thailand is approximately 0.5 % higher than the rate of economic hardship, according to the 2024 MPI.
This means there are a lot of Thais who live above the poverty line and could n’t be considered as well-off because they are deprived of basic education, healthcare, nutrition and housing, among other things.
Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, said Narathiwat, Surin, Mae Hong Son, Uthai Thani and Pattani reported the highest levels of comprehensive poverty in the country last month.