Let’s take a look at the state wise GDP contribution to India in 2017-18:
For details on data, source and to interact with the chart visit the Github page.
It wouldn’t be right to blindly compare the states since GDP depends on the geographical extent, population, availability of economic resources and a ton of other factors. This kind of comparison should always go hand in hand with those other parameters which could then be used to plan and allocate National resources. Undue emphasis on GSDP is also unwarranted. Other important indicators such as Net Domestic Product, Per Capita Domestic Product (productivity) and Growth rate of GDP are also equally crucial to be noted.
Keeping the above in mind we’ll still go ahead and dig deep into how this ranking has been in the past. We shall stick to current prices as our motive here is an inter-state comparison.
But before that, some observations from the above chart:
- As is the case worldwide, a handful of Metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are undoubtedly pulling up the GSDP of their parent states.
- The Eastern states Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal have great potential to increase their production levels.
- In the North Eastern states, improving connectivity with South East Asia and Bangladesh can tremendously curb the disparity between Assam and the rest of states within the zone.
Now lets look at the ranking as in 2010-11:
For details on data, source and to interact with the chart visit the Github page.
We notice that Andhra Pradesh is high in the ranking here. That’s because, in the 2017-18 chart, it has been bifurcated into its sister state Telangana. Also, it may be noted that the Northern zone has superseded Eastern zone by 2017-18 although the difference between their respective GDPs is only marginal. And of course, thanks to a good growth rate, Tamil Nadu has outdone Uttar Pradesh after 2011.
Here’s the ranking in 2004-05:
For details on data, source and to interact with the chart visit the Github page.
No major changes to be noted here. The swapping of the orders Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu and Gujarat & West Bengal is perhaps indicative of good competition. Now, let’s go back a decade and look at the figures in 1990-91:
For details on data, source and to interact with the chart visit the Github page.
Here we notice that West Bengal was way high up the ranking. Within the three states of the Eastern zone, there is a wide disparity. Also, over the decades we can see a sustained climbing of Karnataka. It may be noted that in this chart, the states Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh had not been bifurcated. However, this GSDP data is strictly not comparable inter alia by the admission of the source itself owing to differing methodologies of estimation by different states. Nevertheless, we dig down one more decade and look at the scenario in 1980-81:
For details on data, source and to interact with the chart visit the Github page.
The only major difference we can note here is that of Rajasthan. Like Karnataka, it has steadily moved up the ranks over the decades. Interestingly, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa were Union Territories at this time (they got statehood in 1987).
I couldn’t find readily available open data further back in History of India. Not only does data become difficult to compare but we’ll also have to account for the reorganisation of states that happened in the earlier decades.
This work should be followed up with the comparison of growth rates of GSDP and per capita GSDP patterns.
Here’s the gallery of all the above charts for quick comparison:
India: State-wise GDP (₹ crores, current prices, 1980-81) India: State-wise GDP (₹ crores, current prices, 1990-91) India: State-wise GDP (₹ crores, current prices, 2004-05) India: State-wise GDP (₹ crores, current prices, 2010-11) India: State-wise GDP (₹ crores, current prices, 2017-18)
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