The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has suggested a new initiative to release specific city-level statistical reports for over 47 million cities in India. These reports, based on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), aim to offer detailed urban data for better policy and planning.
Identified based on the Population Census 2011, these reports will help bridge data gaps and facilitate informed decision-making across governance levels. They are designed to improve city-level GDP estimation, enhance urban statistics availability, and aid in understanding urban labor markets and enterprise dynamics.
MoSPI’s proposal includes two annual thematic reports: an Employment Profile of Million-Plus Cities and a City-Level Profile of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises. The former will present key labor market indicators, while the latter will focus on the urban informal sector’s scale, structure, employment, and economic performance.
Cities play a crucial role in the national economy, housing both formal and informal economic activities. However, the lack of reliable city-level statistics hampers the assessment of labor market conditions and the performance of the unincorporated sector. This initiative also aims to generate data for developing city-level Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates.
To gather feedback and suggestions, MoSPI has uploaded a consultation paper on the proposed framework for city-level estimates on its website. Stakeholders are encouraged to review and provide input on the framework, indicators, methodology, and dissemination strategy.
