New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- Last month, when Union junior finance minister Pankaj Chaudhary shared state-wise data on per capita incomes in Parliament, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu attributed their high numbers to their good governance.

The data for 2024-25 is available only for 16 out of 28 states. But the 2023-24 data, which is available for all states, too, shows these two southern states among India's most prosperous. However, it is Gujarat that takes the cake among the large states.

Gujarat's per capita net state domestic product (NSDP)-a rough indicator for average income earned per person-was Rs.1.96 lakh in 2023-24. It was followed by Karnataka at Rs.1.92 lakh, Haryana at Rs.1.83 lakh, and Tamil Nadu at Rs.1.80 lakh.

(These figures are at...