Number Theory: Haryana economy much ahead of Punjab's, but most residents poorer

Haryana, which was carved out of Punjab as a separate state in 1966, will elect a new assembly in a month. The politics of the two states today is very different -- a reflection of the religious demographics of the two regions. 58% of Punjab’s population is Sikh while 87% of Haryana’s population is Hindu. The difference in religious demographics aside, a comparison of economies of Punjab and Haryana can give a useful insight into how the economic fortune and, with it, the political economy of these two contiguous states has diverged in the latter half of the post-reform period in India. Here are four charts that explain this in detail.