The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has proposed the development and dissemination of dedicated city-level statistical reports for 47 million-plus cities (mn-plus cities) as per the Population Census 2011. The reports will draw on existing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), both of which are reported to permit statistically robust estimation at the city level. The proposal was advanced to address the limited official statistics at the city scale that constrain evidence-based urban policy and planning.

Two annual thematic publications are envisaged, the first presenting an Employment Profile of Million-Plus Cities and the second the City-Level Profile of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises. The employment report will set out key labour market indicators such as Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio and Unemployment Rate, while the enterprise profile will capture the scale, structure, employment and economic performance of the urban informal sector. These outputs seek to make granular urban labour and enterprise data more accessible for municipal and state planning.

MoSPI intends the initiative to align the statistical system with a rapidly urbanising economy and to bridge critical data gaps that impede policy formulation. The reports are expected to support city-level policy making, contribute to city-level GDP estimation and improve understanding of urban market dynamics across sectors. Dissemination will be annual and will use user-friendly formats to promote wider public access.

A consultation paper setting out the proposed framework, indicators, methodology and dissemination strategy has been uploaded on the MoSPI website for stakeholder review. Stakeholders are invited to send suggestions and comments to the listed email addresses by 15th May 2026, with contacts provided for consultation submissions. The Ministry has sought feedback to refine the framework and improve the utility of the proposed city-level statistical reports.