Mapping India's GDB: Survey reveals how states fare in social behaviour

The India Today Gross Domestic Behaviour (GDB) Survey 2025 ranked Kerala as the top state, with Tamil Nadu and West Bengal also performing well in civic behavior and other social indicators. The survey, which measured civic awareness, public safety, gender attitudes, and diversity & discrimination across 21 states and one union territory, found significant regional differences in social and civic progress. Other high-ranking states included Maharashtra, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh, while Punjab and Gujarat were ranked lower. 

Overall rankings and highlights

Top-ranked state: Kerala was ranked first overall due to its strong performance across all four survey themes. 

Other high-ranking states: Following Kerala were Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Odisha. 

Lower-ranking states: Punjab and Gujarat were ranked lowest in the overall rankings and in specific metrics like civic behavior. 

Key findings on civic and social behavior

Civic behaviour: Tamil Nadu was the top performer in civic behavior, which includes obeying rules and being honest. Punjab ranked last. 

Corruption: Despite a high disapproval rate (85%) for public transport ticketless travel, 61% of respondents said they would pay a bribe to speed up bureaucratic processes, with UP showing the highest tendency. 

Digital payments: 76% of respondents prefer digital payments over cash, indicating a shift toward transparency, with Delhi showing the highest preference at 96%. 

Gender attitudes: While there are progressive attitudes, patriarchal undercurrents remain strong. For example, a majority of respondents believe sons and daughters deserve equal education and job opportunities, yet a significant percentage still feel men should have the final say in household matters. 

Regional variations: There are significant differences between states, but the survey also noted a surprising similarity in attitudes between urban and rural areas, as well as between genders on some patriarchal norms. 

Survey methodology

Sample: The survey was conducted with 9,188 respondents across 98 districts in 21 states and one union territory. 

Partners: It was a collaboration between the India Today Group, How India Lives, and Kadence International. 

Themes: The survey focused on four themes: civic behavior, public safety, gender attitudes, and diversity and discrimination.

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