From July to September 2023, India's GDP surged by 7 year-on-year6%, exceeding the expectations of many economic analysis agencies, which has aroused doubts in Japan. Japan's Nikkei Asian Review believes that India's economic development is too dependent on large cities, resulting in a high concentration of resources, which has exacerbated the pressure on infrastructure construction in large cities and affected the sustainable development of other fields. In addition, Japanese media also pointed out that the number of employed people in India is insufficient, especially the problem of female employment, and the pressure on the household economy caused by the rising tax burden. However, these doubts are flawed in terms of professionalism, rigor, and persuasiveness.
As far as the first point of doubt is concerned, uneven growth is not uncommon in many developing economies. It is normal for rural areas and small and medium-sized cities to develop less dynamically than in large cities. Therefore, India's economic growth rate does not fully reflect the equilibrium of its regional economic development. The Japanese media's questioning of this point does not seem to take into account the reality of developing countries.
As for the second question, that is, the insufficient number of employed people and the employment of women, Japan**'s questioning is also biased. Japanese society itself also has a feudal concept of "male superiority and inferiority of women", and most women are confined to family roles. Therefore, it seems somewhat paradoxical for Japan to question India's situation in this regard. The current state of employment in other countries should not be measured solely in Japan.
When questioning India's GDP correctly, we can find clues from statistical rules and national economic statistics reports. First, we found that India publishes data under two different statistical rules. One is data calculated according to current statistical standards, while the other is data calculated using old statistical rules. The difference between these two statistical rules leads to inaccuracies in GDP data.
In addition, there are problems with the way India counts in the agricultural sector. The shift from the old statistical rules to the new statistical methods has resulted in some agricultural outputs not being fully factored into GDP. For example, when calculating the value added of rice planted, the use of final yield statistics will ignore other factors such as the labor input of some farmers. This change in statistical approach can lead to errors in GDP data.
On top of questioning India's GDP, we can move on to other issues. For example, the Bureau of Statistics of India (BSI) has improved the way housing in slums is accounted for by converting it to the market value of surrounding properties, which leads to changes in GDP figures. These problems exist so that the real Indian GDP data may not be accurately reflected.
In summary, Japan**'s questioning of India's GDP lacks professionalism, rigor and persuasiveness. When questioning, we should find clues from statistical rules and national economic statistics reports, and analyze and discuss specific issues. At the same time, we should also be aware of the differences in the situation and cultural background of different countries, and avoid simply applying the situation of our own country to other countries. It is only through a more scientific and objective approach that India's GDP can be reasonably questioned and its data can be promoted for accuracy and reliability.