The Uttar Pradesh government presented its Economic Survey 2025-26 in the state assembly on Monday. In which a new roadmap was put forward to establish India’s most populous state as a 1 trillion dollar economy in the mid-term. If this happens, then UP alone will be seen challenging Poland and Switzerland on the GDP front at the global level. The survey presented by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna is the first annual economic document released by the state in line with the tradition of the central government. In which the UP government has analyzed the macroeconomic performance, fiscal position and direction of regional development based on data. Let us try to understand the special features of this economic survey in detail.
Target of one trillion dollar economy
The Economic Survey says that Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, can reach an economy of 1 trillion dollars in the mid-term. This means that Uttar Pradesh can be included in the top 20 countries in the global economy. At present, the size of GDP of Poland and Switzerland is a little more than 1 trillion dollars. Where the growth rate of Poland can remain between 3 to 3.5 percent. On the other hand, Switzerland’s growth rate is being estimated between 1 to 1.5 percent. On the other hand, the growth rate of Uttar Pradesh is being estimated at more than 10 percent in the next few years. Due to which, in the next few years, Uttar Pradesh can compete with these two countries on the GDP front and become a 1 trillion dollar economy.
GDP of UP
According to the survey, Uttar Pradesh’s GDP has grown at a CGAR of 10.8 percent, from Rs 13.30 lakh crore in 2016-17 to Rs 30.25 lakh crore in 2024-25. It is estimated that the economy will grow to Rs 36 lakh crore in 2025-26. The state has attracted investment of more than Rs 50 lakh crore in industrial proposals. This makes it clear that the interest of domestic as well as foreign investors is continuously increasing in UP.
A major basis for promoting investment in the state is the “Triple S” framework of security, stability and speed. The policy framework focuses on improving law and order, regulatory clarity and speedy approvals through single-window digital platforms like Nivesh Mitra. In the survey, the MoUs worth Rs 2.94 lakh crore signed at the World Economic Forum 2026 have been pointed towards the increasing perception of global investors towards Uttar Pradesh.
Infrastructure remains the foundation of the state’s growth. Uttar Pradesh is establishing itself as the expressway hub of India, with 22 expressways in various stages, of which seven are operational and three are under construction. The state also has the country’s largest rail network and is expanding its aviation ecosystem with a target of 24 airports, including five international airports. Jewar International Greenfield Airport is expected to emerge as a major logistics and cargo gateway for North India.
In the industrial sector, the number of registered factories has crossed the 30,000 mark, almost doubling in the last few years. Industrial gross value addition has increased by 25 percent, which is the fastest growth among major states. The state is adopting a cluster-based strategy, under which Lucknow is being established as an Artificial Intelligence Centre, Kanpur as a drone manufacturing and testing center and Noida as a major center for IT and electronics manufacturing.
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
The survey places agriculture and allied sectors at the center of the state’s development strategy under the “Vikas Uttar Pradesh 2047” roadmap, with emphasis on modernization of agriculture and increasing farmers’ earnings. The contribution of agriculture and allied sectors in the state’s economy has increased from 24 percent in 2017-18 to 24.9 percent in 2024-25.
Uttar Pradesh remains the largest food grain producing state in the country with a production of 737.4 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25. Between 2017-18 and 2024-25, total food grain production increased by 28.5 per cent and productivity improved by 11.8 per cent, increasing the state’s share in national food grain production from 18.1 per cent to 20.6 per cent.
Gross value added per hectare of crops increased from Rs 0.98 lakh in 2017-18 to Rs 1.73 lakh in 2024-25. Paddy and wheat continued to make the biggest contribution to agricultural production, their area under cultivation and productivity increased in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. There was a sharp increase in the area under pulses and oilseeds.
The survey highlights large-scale agricultural support to 3.12 crore farmers through fertilizer distribution, crop loans and direct benefit transfer under PM Kisan Yojana. Irrigated area increased from 21.6 million hectares in 2017-18 to 27.6 million hectares in 2024-25, while cropping intensity increased to 193.7 percent. The state is setting up seed parks in five agro-climatic zones, of which the first seed park will be developed in Lucknow with an investment of Rs 266.70 crore.
Its objective is to reduce dependence on imported seeds and increase productivity. Uttar Pradesh is also emerging as a food processing sector, where about 65,000 processing units employ about 25 lakh people, and more than 15 agriculture and food processing parks have been developed in major districts.
Animal husbandry and fisheries continue to contribute to rural income. Uttar Pradesh’s contribution to India’s total milk production is 15.66 per cent, the highest among states, while fish production has more than doubled between 2017-18 and 2024-25.
Health service and medical infra
Information about public health expenditure and medical infrastructure is also given in the survey. In which it is said that the health budget for 2025-26 has been increased to a record Rs 46,728.48 crore, which is 6.1 percent of the total state budget and higher than the national average. The survey said that increase in government expenditure has reduced out-of-pocket expenditure on health services, which has improved the accessibility and affordability of public health services.
Due to the expansion of maternal health programs, there has been an increase in institutional deliveries. In 2024-25, 96.12 per cent of total deliveries in the state were institutional, while the number of non-institutional deliveries dropped to 1.66 lakh. The survey also said that universal immunization coverage against major vaccine-preventable diseases has been achieved for children up to five years of age by 2024-25. Investments in neonatal and child health care through special care units and nutritional rehabilitation centers have contributed to improvements in maternal and child health indicators.
Law and order and security
The survey has linked improvements in law and order to the state’s investment efforts. There has been a decline in the crime rate due to continuous action against organized crime and mafia networks. Tech-based policing, including widespread deployment of CCTV networks and digital case management systems, has strengthened enforcement and accountability. Women safety initiatives such as women police patrolling, anti-Romeo squads and the Safe Cities Project have improved security in public places. The survey also notes that judicial process reforms, including the expansion of fast track courts and e-courts, have helped in increasing the speed of justice delivery.
State budget doubled in 9 years
The survey shows that the state budget has more than doubled in 9 years to Rs 8.33 lakh crore for 2025-26, while tax revenue has increased 2.5 times to Rs 2.09 lakh crore. The loan to GSDP ratio is 28 per cent, which is lower than the national average, providing scope for capex-led growth.
According to the survey, per capita income has doubled to Rs 1,09,844 in 2024-25 and a target has been set to reach it to Rs 1,20,000 in 2025-26. Uttar Pradesh leads the country in Ayushman Bharat coverage, where there are 5.46 crore cards and the number of Jan Dhan accounts is also the highest at 10.22 crore.
In the field of trade and digital governance, Uttar Pradesh has reached the fourth position in the Export Preparedness Index 2024 and first position among landlocked states. The state has also topped the national ranking in e-prosecution and extended direct benefit transfers to more than 3.12 crore PM Kisan beneficiaries.
The survey highlights energy transition and urbanization as key drivers of medium-term growth. The share of solar energy in installed capacity has increased from 23 percent to 27 percent. The purpose of the proposed Lucknow State Capital Region and 100 new township plan is to control urban expansion. It is estimated that by 2046 the urban population will reach 35.8 percent.