Over 39% of bank accounts in India are in the name of women, also have the highest participation in savings

39.2 percent of bank accounts are in the name of women out of the total bank accounts in India. Along with that, the remarkable thing is that the figure is even higher in rural India. For instance, here 42.2 percent bank accounts are held by women. This has been shown through the 26th report brought out by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation titled Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Facts released on Sunday.

The report presents a comprehensive picture of the gender situation in India. It includes data related to areas like population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making. These figures have been collected from various ministries and government departments. According to the ministry's statement, women contribute 39.7 percent of the total bank deposits. Their participation is highest in rural India, where almost one out of every two accounts is in the name of a woman. Even better is that women's participation in bank accounts is highest in rural areas. Here their share among account holders is 42.2 percent.

According to the report, due to the increasing interest of women in the stock market, the number of demat accounts has also increased tremendously. Between 31 March 2021 and 30 November 2024, demat accounts have increased from 3.326 crores to 14.302 crores, that is, there has been an increase of more than four times. Provided that the number of male account holders is still higher, but female participation is also increasing continuously. In 2021, the number of male accounts was 2.659 crores. It has increased to 11.531 crores in 2024. At the same time, the number of women's accounts increased from 0.667 crores to 2.771 crores.

The report shows that the number of women-owned establishments (proprietary firms) in trade, manufacturing and other service sectors has also increased steadily between 2021 and 2024. This is a very good sign of women's development, which shows that women's entrepreneurship is increasing.

Women's participation in elections has also been remarkable. In 1952, there were a total of 17.32 crore voters in India, which has increased to 97.8 crores in 2024. During this period, the number of women voters has also increased significantly. This has reduced the gender-based voting gap.

The presence of women is also increasing in the field of startups recognized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT). While there were only 1,943 startups in 2017 that had at least one woman director, the number is projected to increase to 17,405 in 2024.

There are also positive signs in the education sector. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) at the primary and higher secondary levels has remained consistently high, reflecting a strong enrollment rate of girls. There has been some variation at the upper primary and primary levels, but it has remained close to parity.