Bengal Emerges as a ‘National Model’ with Low Unemployment, High Literacy, and Improved Social Indicators

MP, Kolkata, 13 July 2025 :  Bengal has positioned itself as a "national model" by recording a lower unemployment rate, higher literacy, and significant strides in people-centric development, according to the latest summary report by NITI Aayog. The state’s unemployment rate for the year 2022-2023 stood at 2.2%, which is 30% lower than the national average of 3.2%.

Bengal has also outperformed many states in terms of socio-economic indicators. The literacy rate in the state is registered at 76.3%, approximately 3.3% higher than the national average. Additionally, the state’s life expectancy reached 72.3 years, which is 2.3 years longer than the national average.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) highlighted Bengal’s achievements on social media, stating, “When governance is rooted in compassion and clarity, progress becomes inevitable. Under the visionary leadership of Smt. @MamataOfficial, Bengal is emerging as a national model, achieving lower unemployment, higher literacy, improved health outcomes, and greater gender parity. This is the promise and proof of people-centric development. #BengalShowsTheWay.”

According to the NITI Aayog report, based on the National Family Health Survey-V (2019-2021), Bengal's sex ratio stands at 973 female births for every 1,000 male births, significantly better than the national average of 889. The state's Gender Parity Index in higher education, which measures the enrollment ratio of girls and boys aged 18-23 in higher education institutions, is also higher than the national average, showing marked progress toward gender equality.

The state has made improvements in several quality-of-life indicators as well. For instance, Bengal has exceeded the national benchmark for access to drinking water in households. The state’s infant mortality rate in 2020 was 19 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is lower than the national average. The total fertility rate in Bengal stood at 1.6 children per woman in 2019-2021, which is also better than the national average.

The NITI Aayog report further noted that Bengal has seen improvements in education as well, with a lower school dropout rate and higher pass percentages in both classes 10 and 12.