New Delhi, India — Delhi has achieved notable progress in reducing poverty and unemployment, alongside improvements in social indicators like female labor force participation and the sex ratio at birth. These findings are detailed in the Delhi State Indicator Framework (SIF) 2025 report, released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.
The SIF 2025 report monitors the capital's advancement across 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing crucial data to inform policy decisions and guide the implementation of government initiatives.
Poverty Levels Decline Significantly
According to the report, the proportion of individuals living in poverty across Delhi has seen a substantial decrease. The share of men, women, and children experiencing poverty fell from 4.4% in 2015-16 to 2.1% in 2017-18. This decline aligns with the "No Poverty" Sustainable Development Goal, which aims to eradicate poverty in all its forms.
The report also highlighted a steady increase in beneficiaries under the "Women in Distress" scheme, rising from 168,977 in 2015-16 to 397,465 in 2024-25, indicating expanded support for vulnerable women.
Unemployment Sees Sharp Drop
Delhi's unemployment rate has dramatically decreased over recent years. It declined from 9.7% in 2017-18 to 8.7% in 2019-20, further dropping to 5.3% in 2021-22, and reaching a low of 2.1% in 2023-24.
During the same period, the labor force participation rate for individuals aged 15 to 59 years increased from 49.9% in 2017-18 to 51.5% in 2023-24. Female participation in the workforce also improved, with the female labor force participation rate rising from 11.2% in 2017-18 to 14.5% in 2023-24.
Improvements in Sex Ratio at Birth
The SIF 2025 report, which aligns with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also recorded improvements in Delhi's sex ratio at birth. The number of female live births per 1,000 male live births increased from 898 in 2015 to 929 in 2022, before settling at 920 in 2024.
These comprehensive indicators underscore Delhi's progress across various development fronts, providing a framework for continued monitoring and strategic policy implementation.