Odisha Surpasses West Bengal in Per Capita Income, Reaches 88.5% of National Average

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s per capita income has reached 88.5% of the national average in 2023-24, up from just 54.3% in 1990-91, according to a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). The report, co-authored by Sanjeev Sanyal and Aakanksha Arora, noted Odisha’s significant economic turnaround after years of decline.

The state, which saw a steady drop in relative per capita income from the 1960s to 1990-91 (falling from 70.9% to 54.3%), has witnessed rapid improvement over the last two decades. Though still below the national average, the rise to 88.5% represents remarkable progress.

The paper also highlighted that Odisha has overtaken West Bengal, whose per capita income, once 127.5% of the national average in 1960-61, dropped to 83.7% in 2023-24. This decline placed West Bengal below traditionally less prosperous states like Rajasthan and Odisha.

The report raised concerns over the economic performance of eastern states, particularly Bihar, which remains the poorest with a per capita income of 32.8% of the national average. Jharkhand and Assam follow at 57.2% and 73.7%, respectively.

Delhi currently leads all states in per capita income, standing at 250.8% of the national average in 2023-24, followed by Telangana at 193.6%, Karnataka at 180.7%, Haryana at 176.8%, and Tamil Nadu at 171.7%.