The poverty rate in southeast Asia fell from 45 per cent in 1990 to 14 per cent in 2010. Although poverty remains widespread in south Asia, progress in the region has been substantial, the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) Report 2014 said.
However, India had the largest share of global poor at 32.9 percent, more than countries like China, Nigeria and Bangladesh, the report, which was released in New Delhi on Wednesday, said.
India also had the highest child mortality rate worldwide in 2012 with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday, the report added.
In 2012, south Asia accounted for 2.1 million of the 6.6 million global deaths in children under the age of five, the report which tracks progress in achieving the Millenium Development Goals said.
The eight MDGs, with a number of sub-targets covering a range of poverty, hunger, health, gender equality, education and environmental indicators, were consented by all countries as an outgrowth of the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, most of them having a due date in the year 2015.
"India's role in global development is the most important in the world. The MDGs can't be reached globally if they are not reached here," Lise Grande, United Nations Resident Coordinator for India, said while releasing the report.
"The new post 2015 framework cannot succeed if it does not reflect the aspirations, and does not have the commitment and support of India," she said.
"India's commitment to reach the MDGs has been an inspiration to countries around the world; its leadership now in defining the new framework has never been more important," she added.
The report said that the region of south Asia has made great progress on the MDGs, but requires greater efforts to achieve most targets by the end of 2015.
In south Asia, the adjusted net enrolment rate of children of primary school age increased from 80 per cent in 2000 to 94 per cent in 2012.
However, gender parity in the region is yet to be achieved in Afghanistan and Pakistan - where there are at most nine girls for every ten boys enrolled - and Bangladesh and Nepal - where girls are favored.
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