India Gini Index Score of 25.5 and Hidden Inequalities
Why in the news
India’s Gini score of 25.5 suggested low income inequality, but analysts argued it hides several deeper divides.
Key facts
- Gini Index: measures income inequality from 0 (equality) to 100 (inequality); lower means more equal.
- India’s score: 25.5, a moderately low inequality category.
- Why misleading: it depends on limited formal tax and income data and leaves out the large informal economy.
| Area | Figure |
|---|---|
| Wealth | Top 1% held 22.6% of income in 2022-23 (“Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023”) |
| Women in workforce | 35.9%; 12.7% at middle and senior management |
| Women-run startups | 7.5% |
| Schools with working computers / internet | 52.7% / 53.9% |
| Household broadband | 41.8% |
| Rural internet access | 25% of women vs 49% of men |
Linked inequalities
- Digital gaps deepen educational inequality when schooling goes virtual.
- Gender gaps online limit women’s access to finance, jobs and information.
Exam angle
- Score: 25.5; range 0-100; India has the world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem.