 Lucknow - The capital of Uttar Pradesh | |
| Currency | Indian Rupee (INR,₹) |
|---|---|
| 1 April - 31 March | |
Country group |
|
| Statistics | |
| Population |  241,066,874 (2021) |
| GDP | ₹30.8trillion (US$360 billion) (nominal; 2025-26)[3] $1.52 trillion (PPP; 2025-26)[4][5] |
| GDP rank | 3rd |
GDP growth | 11.6% (2025-26 est.)[6] |
GDP per capita | ₹130,804 (US$1,500) (2025 est.)[7] |
GDP by sector | Agriculture 28.4%Industries 24.6%Services 47.0%, (2022)[8] |
Population belowpoverty line |  17.40% in poverty (2022-23)[9] |
| 0.635 (2025)medium33th | |
Labour force by occupation | Agriculture 59.3%Industries 10.5%Services 30.2%, (2019) |
| Unemployment | 2.9% (June 2022)[10] |
| External | |
| Exports | $19.05 billion (FY 2024-25) |
Export goods | |
| Public finances | |
 ₹7.84lakh crore ($94.4 billion ) | |
| ₹91,400 crore (US$11 billion)2.98% of GSDP (2025–26 est.)[6] | |
| Revenues | ₹6.65 lakh crore (US$79 billion) (2025–26 est.)[6] |
| Expenses | ₹7.57 lakh crore (US$90 billion) (2025–26 est.)[6] |
All values, unless otherwise stated, are inUS dollars. | |
Uttar Pradesh has the3rd largest economy amongIndian states and is also themost populous, supporting a population of nearly 240 million.[11]
Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of food grains in India and accounted for about 17.83% share in the country's total food grain output in 2016–17. Food grain production in the state stood at 49,903.1 thousand tonnes in 2016-17 and 51,252.7 thousand tonnes in 2017–18.[12] Major food grains produced in the state includerice,wheat,maize,millet (bajra), gram,peas andlentils.
Uttar Pradesh is a favoured tourist destination in India withVaranasi, considered to be one of the oldest living city of the world, a holy place for devotees ofLord Shiva andTaj Mahal, one of the eight Wonders of the World, is also located here in Agra. In 2022, domestic tourist arrivals in the state stood at 317.91 million.[13]Varanasi,Agra,Ayodhya,Mathura andPrayagraj were among the most visited cities. The2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela attracted more than 550 million devotees and was estimated to generate ₹3.50 lakh crore in revenue.[14]
Cities such asNoida,Meerut,Kanpur Nagar,Agra,Lucknow,Gorakhpur,Prayagraj andGhaziabad are leading economic centres in the state.
The growth ofNoida has come due toYamuna Expressway. Now the government is pushing to createMeerut as the next Industrial hub and theGanga Expressway is expected to fuel this.[15]
Uttar Pradesh is a major contributor to the national food grain stock. In FY 2020–21, the state produced 5.81 crores (58.10 million) tonnes of food grain, 18.68% of the country's total production. This is partly due to the fertile regions of theIndo-Gangetic plain and also the well-developed irrigation facilities, such as canals and tube wells. It has been the foremost producer of food grains in India since the 1950s, due to high-yielding varieties of seed, greater availability of fertilisers, and increased use of irrigation.[16]
Western Uttar Pradesh is more advanced in terms of agriculture then the other regions in the state. The majority of the state's population depends upon farming activities. Wheat, rice, pulses, oilseeds, and potatoes are major agricultural products. Sugarcane is the most important cash crop throughout the state. Uttar Pradesh is one of the most important states in India as far ashorticulture is concerned.Mangoes are extensively grown in the state.[17]
Uttar Pradesh has a robust industrial infrastructure, including 15 industrial areas, 12 specialised parks, four growth centres and industrial infrastructure development centres (IIDC). As of January 2019, Uttar Pradesh had 21 notified, 12 operational SEZs and 24 formally approved SEZs.[18]
The Noida-Greater Noida- Yamuna Expressway belt has been a keen choice for many IT/ITES and electronic manufacturing firms. This belt alone has contributed about 40 percent to the manufacturing of mobiles in the country and about 55 per cent of their components.[19]
There are a huge quantity of mineral resources found in the Vindhya mountain range of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has many resources like limestone, Magnesite, Copper, Gypsum.[20] There are several cement plants inMirzapur in theVindhya region, a bauxite-based aluminium plant in theBanda region, and theSonbhadra region.[21]Coal deposits are found in theSingrauli region.
Main Industries of Uttar Pradesh
Cottage industries, such ashandloom and handicrafts, have traditionally provided livelihood to a large number of people in the state. These industries include:
Dibiyapur is a notable industrial town of Auraiya district which has installations of India's leading public sector enterprises viz.
Cycle power plant of NTPC.[citation needed]Pata Petrochemical plantGas compressor station of GAIL[citation needed] (previously known as Gas Authority of India Limited).
The Rice-mills and Dal-mills are working well. Other than these mills some steel furniture and cement products small scale industries are there in town located at different places. The raw material for these small-scale industries is imported from Agra and Kanpur. Mainly, the rice, pulses and desi ghee is transported at large scale to the other districts and states. In the Dibiyapur town itself the wooden furniture work is on large scale and due to its cost and quality factor, the furniture has made a good place in the market of nearby districts.[citation needed]
Meerut,Ghaziabad,Gautam Buddh Nagar,Kanpur,Sonbhadra,Mirzapur, andBalrampur are the most industrious areas in the state.
Mathura Refinery situated inMathura is the onlyoil refinery in Uttar Pradesh, and is the 6th largest oil refinery in India.[34]
Handlooms and handicrafts are a very important source of income in Uttar Pradesh. There are thousands of power looms and handlooms in the state, most of which are situated in eastern UP. Many people depend on it for their livelihood. Main centres in eastern Uttar Pradesh includeTanda,Varanasi,[35]Azamgarh,Bhadohi, Mirzapur,Mau and Mau Aima (Prayagraj). In Western Uttar Pradesh some of the important centres are Meerut,Etawah,Etah andKasganj. InEastern UP, Tanda is a small town with a population of approximately 1,50,000 people with over 1,00,000power looms. The main products includeLungis,Gamchas,Shawls,Rumaal, and garment clothes.
One District One Product is a State Government scheme to encourage local handicrafts and specialized product from each district by helping workers financially. By providing them machineries and tools government helps small local workers.
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Uttar Pradesh is the 'IT-Hub' ofnorthern India, with a share of software exports next to that ofKarnataka. IT enterprises are limited to particular areas, such asNoida,Greater Noida andGhaziabad, which lie in theNational Capital Region (NCR), commercial capitalKanpur and in the state capitalLucknow.[36]
In recent years, Noida has emerged as a major center for software and mobile app development, attracting global companies such asMicrosoft, Arm Holdings,HCL,Samsung, andBarclays. These firms play a vital role in boosting the city's economy throughsoftware development and by exporting services that generate foreign exchange. Noida is also famous forTV News broadcasters. Almost all News channels such asABP News,Zee News andMahua News are located in Film City.[37]
The infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh is improving in comparison to the other advanced states of India. In 2013, the Government of India declared the construction ofChaudhary Charan Singh International Airport inLucknow andLal Bahadur Shastri Airport inVaranasi, and both became operational in 2016.
Lucknow Metro andKanpur Metro became operational in September 2017 and December 2021 respectively with Kanpur Metro being the fastest built metro network in India. TheUttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus service is one of the largest in the country with more than 10,000 buses. UPSRTC ALSO introduced Volvo, Scania, and Janrath ac buses service across the state.
The length of thenational highway and railway track is highest in India. A new international airport had been proposed inGautambudh Nagar is under construction and supposed to start by 2024.Kushinagar International Airport become operational in 2021.[38]
Ayodhyaairport was inaugurated in December 2023.[39] Uttar Pradesh has the most national highways and the state's 8th airportBareilly Airport began operation in March 2021, with the first route between Bareilly and Delhi, the flight will take an hour. TheYamuna Expressway, which is between New Delhi to Agra, is one of the best highways in the country. In 2015, the state government started another expressway project between Agra to Lucknow that has reduced the journey time; it was inaugurated on 21 November 2016.[citation needed]
India's first inter city metro,Delhi Meerut RRTS is also partially operational. Delhi – Meerut RRTS (RAPIDX) is an 82.15 km under-construction semi-high speed rail line with 22 stations connecting Delhi – Meerut through a series of tunnels and elevated viaducts as part of Delhi's Regional Rapid Transit System.[citation needed]
Uttar Pradesh is also set to get operationalEastern and Western dedicated freight corridors. The primary objective of the National Rail Plan is to increase the freight share of railways from 28 per cent to 44 per cent by the year 2051. Uttar Pradesh will have big logistic hubs atMeerut andKhurja.[citation needed]
Ganga Expressway, from prayagraj to meerut is an under-construction, 594 km (369 mi) long, 6-lane (expandable to 8) wide greenfield expressway in the state. Pharma parks, textile parks will be developed around Ganga Expressway. Plans are underway to build large industrial corridors at the beginning and end of the expressway. Due to its proximity to the expressway, many investors are expected to set up industries here.
The land around the departure points ofMeerut, from where the expressway is to begin, will be developed for industries.
On 31 December 2015,Prime MinisterNarendra Modi announced an expressway betweenNew Delhi andMeerut, which will cost₹7,500 crore. It will reduce the journey time to one hour.[40] Delhi-Meerut expressway was opened for public use in April 2021. In 2018 four new expressways - Purvanchal expressway, Bundelkhand expressway, Kanpur-Lucknow expressway, Gorakhpur Link expressway, Ganga expressway, Ballia link expressway are being constructed.Purvanchal expressway has been opened for public use in February 2022, while the Bundelkhand expressway has started operating in July 2022.
India's largest airport is also expected to open inJewar, Uttar Pradesh.
| Year | GSDP Of U.P (Current Prices)[41] |
|---|---|
| 2011-12 | ₹ 7.24 Lakh crore |
| 2012-13 | ₹ 8.22 Lakh crore |
| 2013-14 | ₹ 9.40 Lakh crore |
| 2014-15 | ₹ 10.12 Lakh crore |
| 2015-16 | ₹ 11.38 Lakh crore |
| 2016-17 | ₹ 12.89 Lakh crore |
| 2017-18 | ₹ 14.40 Lakh crore |
| 2018-19 | ₹ 15.82 Lakh crore |
| 2019-20 | ₹ 17.00 Lakh crore |
| 2020-21 |  ₹ 16.45 Lakh crore |
| 2021-22 | ₹ 19.76 Lakh crore |
| 2022-23 | ₹ 22.58 Lakh crore |
| 2023-24 | ₹ 25.48 Lakh crore |
| 2024-25 | ₹ 27.99 Lakh crore |
| 2025-26 | ₹ 30.80 Lakh crore |
There is a huge income parity in Uttar Pradesh. Western Uttar Pradesh contributes more than 50% of revenues to the state government. Also the per capita income is also visibly higher in districts in western Uttar Pradesh.
This is also due to more fertile soil, suitable infrastructure for industries, better transportation and logistic channels like expressways and dedicated freight corridors and also due to its proximity to national capital Delhi.
Cities likeNoida which is an IT hub in the state,Meerut andAgra are leading districts in the state with highest per capita income.
| District | Per Capita Income (2019–20)[41] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Noida | Rs. 612,617 | ||
| Meerut | Rs. 127,306 | ||
| Agra | Rs. 106,354 | ||
| Ghaziabad | Rs. 101,878 | ||
| Hamirpur | Rs. 100,673 | ||
| Amroha | Rs. 97,175 | ||
| Lucknow | Rs. 95,990 | ||
| Hapur | Rs. 91,764 | ||
| Kanpur | Rs. 86,709 | ||
| Mahoba | Rs. 83,593 | Prayagraj | Rs.65,704 |
While west UP accounts for 71.71% of state GDP, the lagging Bundelkhand accounts for just 5.22%, though it has risen from 4.95% bringing some solace to the government.[42]
Among all the monuments in India, theTaj Mahal, Agra (5.65 million) was the most visited monument in 2018-19 for domestic visitors. In respect of foreign visitors too Taj Mahal (10.87 million) was the most visited monument.[43]
Just an hour's drive from Agra, on the banks of the river Yamuna, is situated the birthplace ofLord Krishna,Mathura. The entire land is dotted withmagnificent temples, dedicated to various aspects of his life. Gokul,Barsana andGovardhan are the other township associated with the legend of Lord Krishna. Gokul is the hideout where Lord Krishna was secretly brought up- away from the eyes of his maternal uncle Kansa. His consortGoddess Radha belonged toBarsana, where the uniqueHoli festival Latthamar Holi is celebrated with great gusto.[44]
Varanasi, in eastern Uttar Pradesh is among the oldest living cities in the world and its antiquity finds place in ancient scriptures. Located along the banks ofGanga it is a sacred place for all Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.[45]
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, famed for its Nawabi era finesse and amazing food, is a unique mix of the ancient and the modern. It is home to extraordinary monuments depicting a fascinating blend of ancient, colonial and oriental architecture.[47]
Kushinagar is one of the principal centres of the Buddhist pilgrimage, is the place whereLord Buddha left his corporal self and attained Mahaparinirvana. It attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. In the uniquely designed Mahaparinirvana temple is a huge statue of the reclining Buddha, excavated in 1876. The monuments here are clustered in three groups – theNirvana site, the centralStupa and the surrounding monasteries, Mathakuar Kot and Ramabhar Stupa.[48]
Located on the east bank of RiverSaryu in central Uttar Pradesh,Ayodhya is brimming with the remnants of a bygone era. The famous epics,Ramayana andShri Ramcharitmanas exhibit the splendor ofAyodhya. Many eminent kings such asIkshvaku,Prithu,Mandhata,Harishchandra, Sagar,Bhagirath, Raghu, Dileep, Dashrath andLord Rama ruled the capital city ofKosala. It was during their reign, that the grandeur of the kingdom reached its pinnacle and epitomized Ram Rajya. An episode ofRamayana, a page of ancient history and a cluster of tourist attractions, this town has been a major centre for pilgrims, historians, archaeologists and students alike.[49]
The literacy rate of Uttar Pradesh is 74% with male literacy rate at 82% and female literacy rate at 66.1%.[50]
According to NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) based on NFHS-5, 22.93% population of Uttar Pradesh is poor.[51]
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