Sonbhadra and Ballia are Uttar Pradesh’s poorest districts; Noida tops the chart

Western UP outperforms the rest

Sonbhadra and Ballia are Uttar Pradesh’s poorest districts, with daily per-capita spending of less than Rs 100, according to household consumption data from 2022-23. In contrast, residents of Noida spend nearly four times more, underscoring the state's deep east-west economic divide.

In rural areas, Sonbhadra recorded the lowest daily spending at Rs 78, along with Chandauli (Rs 79) and carpet-making centres of Mirzapur (Rs 80) and Bhadohi (Rs 82), according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI). The data combines official consumption data with auxiliary indicators such as gas connections, old-age pension beneficiaries, and patients under the PM-JAY health scheme.

In urban areas, Ballia had the lowest per capita spending of Rs 86.

Urban districts in western Uttar Pradesh displayed significantly higher consumption levels. Noida led with daily per-capita spending of Rs 324, followed by Baghpat (Rs 233). Even semi-urban districts such as Ghaziabad and Hapur reported average urban spending of nearly Rs 187 per day.

Interestingly, urban Gonda, once infamous as one of India’s dirtiest cities, recorded higher per-capita spending than both Lucknow and industrial centres such as Meerut and Ghaziabad.

The data also reveal that prosperity in urban hubs doesn’t necessarily extend to their rural fringes. While Sonbhadra ranked lowest in rural spending, its urban residents fared better than those in 65 other districts, reflecting the widening intra-district gap between rural and urban economies.

Conversely, rural Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), despite its urban affluence, reported lower spending than Shrawasti, showing that proximity to high-income urban centres doesn’t always translate into rural prosperity.

A clear pattern emerges across Uttar Pradesh: western districts such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Bagpat display higher consumption levels across both rural and urban areas, while eastern and southern districts like Sonbhadra, Ballia, and Chitrakoot remain at the bottom of the spending scale.

Varanasi district recorded rural per-capita spending of Rs 91 per day, nearly 20 percent below the state average of Rs 109. The state capital, Lucknow, performed only marginally better, with rural spending near the state average and urban spending 31 percent above the state’s Rs 170 daily average.