As 2025 draws to a close, a retrospective look at data-driven journalism provides a sharp lens into the evolving Indian story. Mint's Plain Facts section, through the year, decoded complex socio-economic trends, trade shocks, and cultural shifts using granular data and compelling charts. From the hidden burdens within households to the geopolitical tremors in trade, here are the pivotal narratives that explained India in 2025.
The Unseen Burden: Quantifying India's 'Marriage Penalty' on Women
The government's second Time-Use Survey offered an unprecedented window into the daily rhythms of Indian life. A deep dive into this data revealed a stark reality: married women in India endure a significant 'marriage penalty' in terms of time and labor. The analysis showed that married women dedicate more than 25% of their day to unpaid domestic work, a staggering contrast to the 6% spent by unmarried women. While men also see an increase in domestic burdens after marriage, it is a marginal jump from 1% to 3%.
This unequal division of labor extends even into sleep. A pioneering analysis of sleep patterns from the same survey found that women, overwhelmed by household duties, sleep notably less than men. The gender gap in sleep widens to nearly 30 minutes in their 30s, coinciding with peak family responsibilities. Interestingly, no such gap exists in childhood or adolescence, emerging only as traditional gender roles solidify in adulthood.
Navigating Trade Winds: Trump's Tariffs and India's Export Resilience
The word 'tariff' dominated economic discourse in 2025, especially for India. After US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, Indian exporters faced a direct hit. An additional 25% tariff was levied as a penalty for India's imports of discounted Russian crude, further straining trade talks.
Data analysis quantified the hard knock on Indian exports and pinpointed the most affected sectors. It underscored that mitigating this impact required a dual strategy: securing a favorable trade deal with the US while aggressively diversifying export markets. By year-end, data indicated efforts to tap into markets like China, Spain, Vietnam, and Hong Kong to counterbalance losses. Despite the tensions, the US remained India's largest export destination, highlighting the deep economic interdependence.
Data, Drama, and Delhi's Toxic Air
2025 also saw critical scrutiny of India's statistical systems, with debates around unemployment and GDP data. Plain Facts cut through the noise, advocating for a nuanced reading of official statistics. For instance, beyond the headline unemployment rate, joblessness varied sharply across education levels, a detail captured well by the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
In the cultural sphere, data signaled a comeback for romantic cinema. After years of dominance by action spectacles, emotionally resonant love stories like 'Saiyaara' and 'Tere Ishk Mein' found success. An analysis of IMDb data showed that while the romance genre hadn't returned to its 1990s peak, its revival marked a notable shift in audience appetite.
However, one recurring data story brought no cheer: Delhi's winter 'airpocalypse'. Analysis of data at 15-minute intervals showed how air quality plummeted around Diwali. A comparative study with China's 'war on pollution' revealed a grim contrast: while Beijing residents experienced high PM2.5 levels only 20% of the time in 2024, the exposure in Delhi was a staggering 60%. The story also highlighted that only 52% of funds under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) had been utilized by December 2024, pointing to implementation gaps.
Competitive Populism and the Promise of Cash
The year's political narrative was increasingly shaped by data on women voters and cash transfers. What began as a promise in one state in 2020 had expanded to at least 15 major states by 2025, fueling 'competitive populism'. Analysis revealed that these promised cash transfers could constitute 10-30% of the average income for women engaged in casual labor or self-employment, offering a crucial financial safety net. However, reports from states like Bihar, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh also warned of the severe strain these commitments placed on already fragile state finances.
Together, these data-driven stories from 2025 painted a picture of a nation grappling with deep-seated gender inequalities at home, navigating a turbulent global trade environment, seeking cultural comfort in romance, and struggling for breathable air—all while its political economy leaned increasingly on direct cash promises to secure votes.
