Child stunting in India
Indian children are among the shortest in the world. While the rates of child stunting have declined over time, a substantial share of Indian children, especially in poorer states and among marginalised groups, are stunted
Latest
Do growth standards for Indian children measure up?
Global growth standards used to define the levels of child stunting in India have been contentious. While a substantial body of research shows that the standards are not inaccurate, more context-specific growth references could also be useful
Retail payments in India
Over the last two decades, India has seen a decline in the use of traditional modes of payments, like cash and cheques, and an explosion in the use of digital modes of payments. However, inequities in access remain a concern
How births and deaths in India are counted
Accurate estimations of demographic trends are vital for planning. India has both a direct and an indirect system to count births and deaths. How did they develop, what works and doesn't, and how can they be improved?
Dairy consumption in India
Indians are consuming more dairy, and spending more of their food budgets on dairy products. But wealth affects consumption and gender gaps persist
Self-employment
The self-employed make up the majority of the Indian workforce. But self-employment plays out in different ways among men and women, and between rural and urban India
How one village swung India's workforce numbers in 2022-23
The 2022-23 and 2023-24 rounds of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey appeared to show large, unexplained deviations on several important indicators. Our research identifies the error that drove those swings
Households assets in India
The ownership of assets is one way to understand living standards in a country. In India, TVs are the most commonly owned of four key assets
Meat consumption in India
Most Indians eat meat, and the share who eat meat is growing over time. Vegetarianism is more prevalent in some states and among some groups
International migration from India
Indians now make up the largest group of emigrants in the world, but their destination countries have changed significantly over time
Access to banking
Nearly everyone in India now has a bank account. However, some gender gaps remain, and not everyone with an account uses it
Understanding India's National Family Health Survey
How the NFHS has evolved over time, how it collects its data, and key discussions and debates around it
Why has female labour force participation in India changed?
After being low by global standards for decades, and falling further since the mid 2000s, the share of Indian women who are in the labour force has increased. We examine the parts of the workforce and the economy where these changes have occurred
Road accident deaths
Road accidents are now the leading cause of death among young men in particular. Two-wheeler riders are at particular risk, and traffic violations play a major role
Estimating the true extent of road accident fatalities
By official statistics, India has the largest number of reported deaths from road accidents of any country. But these are likely significant underestimates
Age distribution in Indian states
Whether in the north or the south, Indian states are all seeing their populations begin to age. However over a decade separates India's youngest and oldest states, and the southern states are already seeing a shrinking working-age population
Measurement
How the NFHS gets India's sex ratio wrong
The National Family Health Survey consistently underestimates the proportion of young males and elderly females in India's population. Estimates of the sex ratio from the NFHS need to be used with caution.
Measurement
How India measures literacy
Literacy rates are rising fast in India. But how literacy is defined matters, as does the manner in which surveys on literacy are conducted, resulting in some illiterate people being missed from official statistics
Health
Malaria in India
India has made large strides in reducing the annual incidence of malaria and deaths from the disease. However, malaria remains a major public health challenge, particularly in central and eastern states, and among young children
Measurement
Measuring malaria
Accurately estimating the incidence and mortality from diseases in India, including malaria, is challenging. We lay out the available data sources and explain our reasons behind using selected sources
Living Conditions
ICT skills
Most Indians can send messages, but far fewer have the information and communications technology (ICT) skills needed to do calculations, make presentations or write code. There are large gaps between rural and urban Indians, and between men and women.
Measurement
Population projections and their track record
Between censuses, and to plan for the future, countries rely on population projections. Understanding how these projections are made, as well as their past successes and failures, is vital
Economy
The economies of Indian states
India's states differ from each other not only in the sizes of their populations, but also in the sizes of their economies. While all states are growing, the rate of growth varies significantly between regions
Living Conditions
Access to toilets in India
India has made major strides in improving sanitation, but one in four rural households still does not have access to toilets
Health
Maternal mortality in India
From having maternal mortality rates well above the world average two decades ago, India has seen a sharp fall in the risk of death during pregnancy. Yet, regional disparities exist, and India is some distance from meeting international commitments
Living Conditions
Vehicle ownership in India
Two-wheeler ownership has become more widespread in India, but car ownership is relatively low and concentrated among some groups
Living Conditions
Access to electricity
Access to electricity in India is now nearly universal - in 2000, only 60% of the population had access to electricity. By 2021, this figure had risen to 99.6%.
Living Conditions
Household spending in India
Consumption expenditure, an important indicator of living standards, has risen steadily, and the share of spending on food has declined sharply
Measurement
Measuring consumption expenditure
Consumption expenditure data is vital to the understanding of living standards in India. The latest official data offers a new window, but has also seen key changes in methodology
Living Conditions
Higher education
Enrolment in higher education has grown relatively slowly in India, and large regional and gender gaps persist
Living Conditions
Education levels in India
Over time, the share of the population that is illiterate has declined sharply. But few Indians go on to get a higher education.
Living Conditions
Literacy in India
India is nearing universal literacy, and historic gaps between socio-economic groups are narrowing
