First-Ever District-Level Estimates Released By NSO For Unincorporated Non-Agricultural Sector

Key Highlights:

• The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), released the first-ever district-level estimates for India's unincorporated non-agricultural sector.
• These estimates are based on data from the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2025.
• The top 50 districts account for nearly one-third of the total unincorporated establishments, workforce, and Gross Value Added (GVA).
• Roughly one-third of all districts have over one lakh unincorporated establishments.
• Women constitute one-third of the total workforce in the unincorporated sector in 237 districts.
• In 280 districts, GVA per worker exceeds the all-India average of ₹1,56,539, indicating higher economic productivity.

Detailed Insights:

• The release strengthens granular sub-state-level statistics, crucial for evidence-based policymaking and targeted interventions.
• The report provides a comprehensive picture of the unincorporated sector's scale, structure, employment, and economic performance at the district level.
• The top 10 districts by number of establishments are spread across Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
• Significant regional patterns in female entrepreneurship are observed, with top districts in Telangana, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
• In Mizoram, female-owned proprietary establishments account for at least 50% in each district.
• The survey covers unincorporated non-agricultural establishments in Manufacturing, Trade, and Other Services sectors.
• It includes proprietorships, partnerships (excluding LLPs), co-operatives, and societies/trusts.
• District-level estimates were not generated for Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, and Delhi due to specific sampling methodologies or existing UT-level data.
• Data collection was conducted using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) through a multi-stage stratified sampling scheme.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Unincorporated Sector: Enterprises not registered under the Companies Act, typically small-scale, proprietorships, or partnerships.
• Gross Value Added (GVA): The measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry, or sector of an economy.
• Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE): A nationwide survey conducted by NSO to collect data on the operational and economic characteristics of unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises.