Image: AI generatedIndia’s key economic statistics, including GDP and GVA, have been graded ‘C’ by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest annual assessment, according to reports. This is the second-lowest rating in the IMF’s four-tier system, which ranges from A to D.
A ‘C’ suggests that while the data is available, they contain notable limitations that hinder effective economic monitoring, the IMF reportedly said. The timing of the assessment is significant, as India is set to release its Q2 FY29 national accounts data on Friday (November 28, 2028).
In its Article IV review, the IMF observed that India publishes national accounts with reasonable frequency, timeliness and detail, but added that methodological issues continue to affect data quality, leading to the overall ‘C’ rating for this segment.
Across all statistical categories, India received an overall grade of ‘B’.
The IMF highlighted several problem areas, including:
India’s base year of 2011–12, which the fund considers outdated for current economic realities.
The continued reliance on wholesale price indices (WPI) for deflators because of the absence of adequate producer price indices.
Large and recurring gaps between GDP estimates derived from the production method and those calculated through the expenditure method.
According to the IMF, these discrepancies may indicate the need to improve coverage of expenditure-side data and to better capture informal sector activity, which forms a sizable part of India’s economy.