04-07-2025
The curious case of a UP district that beats Japan in income
Gautam Buddha Nagar
, which includes
Noida
and
Greater Noida
, has become Uttar Pradesh's
economic powerhouse
, so much so that it can be compared to Japan on certain metrics.
GB Nagar has a
per capita income
of ₹10.17 lakh, more than 10 times the state average and comparable to Japan in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, Times of India's Richa Gandhi has reported.
According to the
UP Economic Survey
, GB Nagar's GDP stood at ₹2.63 lakh crore in 2023–24, contributing over 10% of the state's total output. That's twice the size of Lucknow's economy, and larger than the entire GDP of Himachal Pradesh.
Per capita income: A global comparison
Viewed through a purchasing power parity (PPP) lens, GB Nagar's per capita income matches that of Japan, placing it in a league far above the rest of the state. In contrast:
Lucknow's per capita income: ₹2.16 lakh, close to India's national average.
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Ghaziabad: ₹2.11 lakh (PPP equivalent: Morocco)
Hamirpur: ₹1.46 lakh (PPP equivalent: Côte d'Ivoire)
Sonbhadra: ₹1.44 lakh (PPP equivalent: Pakistan)
Meanwhile, districts like Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, and Ballia have per capita figures that mirror those of Afghanistan or Mali in PPP terms.
Top and Bottom: A tale of two UPs
Top 5 districts (GB Nagar, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Agra, Kanpur) contribute over 25% of the state's GDP.
Bottom 5 together account for less than 2.5%.
Image Source: TOI
Even Lucknow, the state capital, trails far behind Noida in per capita terms. GB Nagar's income per person is five times higher than Lucknow, and 23 times higher than Pratapgarh, the poorest district by this measure.
While GB Nagar thrives, the bottom five districts, Shravasti, Chitrakoot, Sant Kabir Nagar, Auraiya, and Bhadohi, collectively generate less than Kanpur Nagar alone. Shravasti's GDP is just ₹8,593 crore, 30 times smaller than GB Nagar's.
Why GB Nagar is an outlier
GB Nagar's economic dominance may be a result of its proximity to Delhi, planned infrastructure, private sector investment, and sustained focus on industrial and IT growth.
The district is also a hub for real estate, electronics, data centres, and logistics, contributing to rapid income growth.