Describe global poverty trends.

The success rate of reducing poverty varies from state to state, causing inter-state disparities in the poverty level. Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are the three poorest states in India, with their people living below the poverty line 47, 42 and 37 per cent, respectively. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the three better-off states in India as far as poverty is concerned. There has been a substantial reduction in global poverty. Poverty declined in China and South-East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and huge investments in the development of human resources. In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained almost the same. In sub-Saharan Africa, poverty saw an upward trend rather than a downward trend. It rose from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 2001. Poverty has surfaced in some of the former socialist countries, like Russia, where formerly it was non-existent.