The Explosive Ascent of Southern India - Marcellus

Per capita income for seven ‘southern’ states (Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra) has grown at an average 10% CAGR between FY14-22. These states, which account for 30% of India’s population and 45% of India’s GDP, now have an average per capita income of ~Rs 2.7 lakhs ($3,300), 50% higher than that of the Rest of India. A decade ago, the corresponding ‘South vs Rest’ gap was 35%. “Consider a child born in India. Firstly, this child is far less likely to be born in southern India than in northern India, given the former’s lower rates of population growth. But let’s assume she is. In which case, she is far less likely to die in the first year of her life given the lower infant mortality rates in south India compared with the rest of the country. She is more likely to get vaccinated, less likely to lose her mother during childbirth, more likely to have access to child services and receive better early childhood nutrition. She will also go on to be a mother to fewer children, who in turn will be healthier and more educated than her.” – RS Nilakantan, author of ‘South vs North: India’s Great Divide’, quoted by the BBC in September 2022.