In an interesting revelation, the government data said that women own 39.2 per cent of all bank accounts and contribute to 39.7 per cent of total deposits. Their participation is highest in rural areas, where they make up 42.2 per cent of account holders.
The Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of its publication titled Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data on Sunday.
It further stated that there is a rise in DEMAT accounts over the years, indicating growing participation in the stock market.
From March 31, 2021, to November 30, 2024, the total number of DEMAT accounts increased from 33.26 million to 143.02 million, marking more than a fourfold rise. Male account holders have consistently outnumbered female account holders, but female participation has also shown a growing trend, the MoSPI data said.
The number of male accounts rose to 115.31 million in 2024 from 26.59 million in 2021, while female accounts increased to 27.71 million from 6.67 million during the same period.
Another interesting revelation by the MoSPI was in terms of female-headed proprietary establishments.
It said there has been a rising percentage of female-headed proprietary establishments across manufacturing, trade, and other services sectors over the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 has been observed.
Further, over the years, there has been an increase in the number of startups recognised by DPIIT with at least one-woman directors, reflecting a positive trend in female entrepreneurship.
The total number of such startups rose from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024, it said.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LPFR) in usual status for ages 15 years and above has improved from 49.8per cent (2017-18) to 60.1per cent (2023-24).
The MoSPI publication offers a comprehensive overview of the gender landscape in India, presenting selected indicators and data across key areas like population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making, all sourced from various Ministries/ Departments/Organisations.