MoSPI’s new plan: Statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities

With rapid urbanisation and the need for urban planning across Indian cities, the government is now working on a proposal for dedicated city-level statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities in the country. These would be based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), both of which provide estimation at the city level.

“India is undergoing a phase of rapid urban transformation, with cities increasingly emerging as the primary drivers of economic growth, innovation, and employment generation. Despite this structural shift, the availability of official statistics at the city level remains limited, which constrains evidence based urban policy formulation and planning,” said the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, MoSPI, which is spearheading the move.

It has proposed two annual thematic reports. The first report would present the Employment Profile of Million Plus Cities, providing key labour market indicators such as Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio, and Unemployment Rate. The report will include analytical insights such as inter-city comparisons, gender and sectoral patterns where feasible. Sub-state estimates will be presented wherever statistically reliable, along with appropriate measures of reliability.

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The second would present a City-Level Profile of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, capturing the scale, structure, employment, and economic performance of the urban informal sector.

“The proposed initiative is expected to significantly enhance the availability of granular urban statistics and strengthen the evidence base for urban policy and planning,” it said in a consultation paper, seeking comments from stakeholders.

By providing reliable city-level data, it will support targeted interventions in employment and enterprise development, contribute to the development of city-level GDP estimates, and improve understanding of urban labour markets and the unincorporated sector, MOSPI said, adding that it will also facilitate academic research and informed public discourse.

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The list of 47 million-plus cities has been selected based on the data from Census 2011 and includes municipal corporations across 17 states and union territories. These include Greater Vishakhapatnam and Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh, Patna in Bihar, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara in Gujarat, Srinagar in Kashmir and Dhanbad and Ranchi in Jharkhand to name a few.

The deadline for suggestions and comments is May 15, it further said.

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