Guess the number
Which state or union territory has the highest urban spending per person?
Sikkim: ₹13,927 a month per person in urban areas, 2.8 times urban Chhattisgarh.
Key facts
- Urban spending per person ranges from ₹13,927 a month in Sikkim to ₹4,927 in Chhattisgarh: a 2.8x gap.
- In villages the gap is wider: ₹9,377 in Sikkim against ₹2,739 in Chhattisgarh (3.4x).
- Among large states, urban Telangana (₹8,978) spends 1.8 times as much as urban Chhattisgarh.
Spending per person by state in India varies far more than most people expect. MoSPI’s Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24 shows that the average urban resident of Sikkim spends almost three times as much each month as an urban resident of Chhattisgarh, and the gap in villages is wider still.
Published November 2026. All figures: MoSPI, HCES 2023-24, monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE), without imputing free items.
Highest and lowest: urban India
Table of Contents
| Highest urban spending | Per person a month | Lowest urban spending | Per person a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikkim | ₹13,927 | Chhattisgarh | ₹4,927 |
| Chandigarh | ₹13,425 | Bihar | ₹5,080 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | ₹10,453 | Jharkhand | ₹5,393 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | ₹9,832 | Uttar Pradesh | ₹5,395 |
| Goa | ₹9,726 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹5,538 |
Highest and lowest: rural India
| Highest rural spending | Per person a month | Lowest rural spending | Per person a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikkim | ₹9,377 | Chhattisgarh | ₹2,739 |
| Chandigarh | ₹8,857 | Jharkhand | ₹2,946 |
| Goa | ₹8,048 | Odisha | ₹3,357 |
A fairer comparison among large states
Sikkim has about 7 lakh people, so its average describes a small population. Among the 18 states with more than 2 crore people, the urban gap is smaller but still large:
| Rank | State | Urban spending per person a month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telangana | ₹8,978 |
| 2 | Haryana | ₹8,428 |
| 3 | Tamil Nadu | ₹8,165 |
| 4 | Karnataka | ₹8,076 |
| 5 | Kerala | ₹7,783 |
| 6 | Maharashtra | ₹7,363 |
| 7 | Punjab | ₹7,359 |
| 8 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹7,182 |
| 9 | Gujarat | ₹7,175 |
| 10 | Assam | ₹6,794 |
| 11 | Rajasthan | ₹6,574 |
| 12 | Odisha | ₹5,825 |
| 13 | West Bengal | ₹5,775 |
| 14 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹5,538 |
| 15 | Uttar Pradesh | ₹5,395 |
| 16 | Jharkhand | ₹5,393 |
| 17 | Bihar | ₹5,080 |
| 18 | Chhattisgarh | ₹4,927 |
Urban Telangana spends 1.8 times as much per person as urban Chhattisgarh.
What it means
- India is many markets. A price point that works in Bengaluru or Hyderabad may be out of reach in Raipur or Patna.
- High spending per person is not the same as a big market. Sikkim and Goa spend the most per person but are small; Uttar Pradesh spends little per person but is India’s largest market (why).
- Plan by state, and by urban and rural areas within each state. The India Market Report Builder does this for any business.
Explore the data
Questions
Which state spends the most per person?
Sikkim: ₹13,927 a month in urban areas and ₹9,377 in rural areas (HCES 2023-24).
Which state spends the least per person?
Chhattisgarh: ₹4,927 urban and ₹2,739 rural.
How big is the gap among large states?
Urban Telangana (₹8,978) spends 1.8 times as much per person as urban Chhattisgarh.
Sources
- MoSPI, Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-24, Fact Sheet (state-wise MPCE).
- Population projections for 2025 (Technical Group on Population Projections).
See our methodology. Cite as: Advanton (2026), "India’s State Spending Gap".
Last reviewed November 12, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.