MoSPI proposes city-level statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities to improve urban planning

New Delhi [India], April 24 : The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed to develop dedicated city-level statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities, aiming to bridge data gaps and support evidence-based urban policy.

According to an official press release by the said ministry, the initiative will create "dedicated city-level statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities (as per Population Census 2011)" using existing data from the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The ministry said the reports will be based on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), which "already allow statistically robust estimation at the city level."

The move comes amid rapid urbanisation in India. "Despite this, official statistics at the city level remain limited, constraining evidence-based urban policy and planning," the ministry noted.

Two annual thematic reports have been proposed under the framework. "The first will 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 release said.

The second report will focus on the informal sector. "The second will present a City-Level Profile of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, capturing the scale, structure, employment, and economic performance of the urban informal sector," it added.

Highlighting the significance of the initiative, the ministry said the proposal "marks an important step in aligning India's statistical system with the realities of a rapidly urbanising economy".

The reports aim to "enhance the availability of granular urban statistics, support city-level policy formulation, contribute to city-level GDP estimation, and improve understanding of urban labour markets and enterprise dynamics," according to the release.

MoSPI also said the reports will be released annually and made available in the public domain in "user-friendly formats".

The ministry has invited feedback from stakeholders on the proposed framework. A consultation paper has been uploaded on the MoSPI website, and "the views of stakeholders are invited to review and suggest improvements to the proposed framework, indicators, methodology, and dissemination strategy," it said.

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