Chhattisgarh shows progress, but has a long way to go | Data Premium

Chhattisgarh's social indicators have improved in recent years, but it still ranks in bottom half of most parameters. In 2019-21, it had an infant mortality rate of 44.3 and ranked 28th. It improved in six of eight parameters, declined in one, and remained unchanged in another. It ranks 23rd in female population aged 6+ attending school, 2nd in households with health insurance, and 25th in manufacturing sector's contribution to GVA. It performed better in educational parameters, mixed progress in environment-related ones, and was ranked 24th in 2021 HDI.

The Chhattisgarh Assembly elections were conducted in two phases on November 7 and 17. A comparison of the social indicators of the State with those of other States shows that Chhattisgarh has improved in most measures in recent years. But despite the improvement, the State features in the bottom half of the rankings in many indicators.

Chhattisgarh’s economic performance is relatively poor given that the manufacturing sector’s contribution is marginal. However, the State has managed to feature in the top half of the rankings in education-related parameters.

Table 1 | The table shows Chhattisgarh’s rank in social indicators and its actual score in a parameter in 2019-21, 2015-16, and 2005-06. It also lists the change in Chhattisgarh’s rank in 2019-21 from 2015-16. The top three States in a parameter are also given for comparison. 

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For instance, Chhattisgarh had an infant mortality rate of 44.3 in 2019-21 and ranked 28 out of 30 States. The three best major States that year were Kerala (4.4), Tamil Nadu (18.6) and West Bengal (22). Chhattisgarh’s ranking improved by one spot in 2019-21 from 2015-16, the year it was placed 29 out of 30.

As can be seen in Table 1, Chhattisgarh’s ranking improved in six of the eight parameters analysed, declined in one, and remained unchanged in another. In the share of the population that used an improved sanitation facility, the State’s ranking improved by 12 spots, and in the share of wasted children (low weight-for-height), it improved by seven spots between 2015-16 and 2019-21.

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