National Statistics Office Suggests City-Level Data Reports for 47 Megalopolises

National Statistics Office Proposes Dedicated City-Level Reports for 47 Million-Plus Cities

The National Statistics Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), has proposed the development of dedicated city-level statistical reports for 47 'million-plus' cities in India. The initiative aims to bridge critical data gaps and support informed decision-making at all levels of governance.

India is experiencing rapid urbanisation, with cities increasingly driving economic growth, employment generation, and structural transformation. However, official statistics at the city-level remain limited, constraining evidence-based urban policy and planning. To address this issue, the NSO will use existing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), both of which already allow statistically robust estimation at the city level.

The proposed reports will provide valuable insights into the urban economy and labour markets. Two annual thematic reports are planned:

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By bringing cities into sharper analytical focus, the initiative seeks 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. The reports will be disseminated annually in the public domain using user-friendly formats.

A consultation paper on the proposed framework for the generation of city-level estimates based on the existing PLFS and ASUSE data has been uploaded on the MoSPI website for wider consultation of stakeholders. The views of stakeholders are invited to review and suggest improvements to the proposed framework, indicators, methodology, and dissemination strategy by May 15, 2026.