Maharashtra Tops Large States, Goa Leads Small States While Bihar and Manipur Lag: CareEdge State Rankings 2025

New Delhi, April 30, 2025 — CareEdge’s 2025 State Ranking Report has placed Maharashtra at the summit of India’s large states, with a composite score of 56.5, driven by strong showings in financial development (71.5), social indicators (74.4), and fiscal management (64.3). Among smaller and northeastern states, Goa leads decisively with a score of 62.1, bolstered by top marks in infrastructure (73.2) and social development (88.4).

Top Performers and Laggards

• Large States:

  1. Maharashtra (56.5)

  2. Gujarat (52.4) — praised for fiscal discipline and economic fundamentals

  3. Karnataka (51.9) — strong governance, environment, and output

  4. Tamil Nadu — balanced growth across key sectors

  5. Telangana — similarly diversified performance

  At the bottom, Bihar (34.8), Jharkhand (36.0), and Madhya Pradesh (36.8) struggled with weak financial development, infrastructure, and social indicators.

• Northeast, Hilly & Small States:

  1. Goa (62.1)

  2. Uttarakhand (48.2) — strong fiscal health and governance

  3. Sikkim — led on economic output (68.7) despite lower financial penetration

  4. Himachal Pradesh — excellent environmental and governance scores

  5. Assam — notable improvements across infrastructure and social metrics

  Manipur and Nagaland occupied the bottom slots, hindered by inadequate financial access and underdeveloped infrastructure.

Pillar-Wise Insights

• Economic Output: Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra led among large states; Sikkim led small states.

• Fiscal Management: Odisha topped the nation for debt and expenditure controls; Maharashtra excelled in fiscal strength.

• Financial Development: Maharashtra, followed by Telangana and Haryana; Goa led small states, while Manipur scored lowest (8.0), underscoring urgent need for financial inclusion.

• Infrastructure: Punjab led large states; Goa maintained its advantage among small states.

• Social Indicators: Kerala achieved the highest score (90.5), with Tamil Nadu and Goa close behind; Bihar recorded the lowest social score (39.0).

• Governance: Andhra Pradesh topped large states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh led smaller states.

• Environment: Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh led among large states; Himachal Pradesh recorded a perfect 82.5, the highest overall.

The CareEdge report underscores India’s widening inter-state disparities, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in lagging regions while celebrating the balanced growth of top performers.