Telangana ranks third among Indian states with upper-middle income status

HYDERABAD — Telangana has been classified under the 'Upper-Middle Income' category based on the World Bank's per capita income benchmark, ranking third among all Indian states. The state achieved this status by recording a per capita income of $5,407, placing it among a select group of five Indian states that have surpassed the World Bank's minimum threshold for the classification.

The World Bank's global income classification system categorizes economies based on per capita income. Under these guidelines, regions with a per capita income of less than $1,175 are classified as low-income. Those with incomes ranging between $1,175 and $4,635 are designated as lower-middle-income, while regions exceeding $14,375 are classified as high-income.

Among the Indian states analyzed, Delhi secured the top position in the country with a per capita income of $6,217. Karnataka followed closely in second place, recording a per capita income of $5,579.

Telangana secured the third position with its $5,407 average, performing ahead of Tamil Nadu, which registered a per capita income of $5,329 to take the fourth spot. Gujarat rounded out the top five upper-middle-income states with a per capita income of $4,734.

Several other prominent Indian states fell just short of the upper-middle-income benchmark. Maharashtra recorded a per capita income of $4,628, followed closely by Haryana at $4,627, and Kerala at $4,610.

The benchmark data also revealed significant economic disparities across the country, particularly in the eastern and northern regions. Bihar was identified as India's poorest state, recording a per capita income of $984. This classification places Bihar in the low-income category, ranking it below Nepal and several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Other states at the lower end of the spectrum included Uttar Pradesh, which recorded a per capita income of $1,403, and Jharkhand at $1,470. The per capita incomes of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand all remained lower than that of Nepal.