Widow Pension (IGNWPS) Statistics: Beneficiaries, Funds and Top States
· 2 min read · 4 official sources
The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme has a national cap of 67,83,469 beneficiaries, and the Centre released Rs 2,150.03 crore to states in 2024-25, according to Rural Development Ministry replies in Parliament. Year-wise beneficiary counts since 2019-20, yearly fund releases and the top states by number of widows covered are below.
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): key numbers
Infographic
IGNWPS beneficiaries by year (2019-20 to 2024-25)
Total number of widows covered under IGNWPS across all states and UTs in each year, as given in a Lok Sabha answer of 11 February 2025.
| Year | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 61,65,037 |
| 2020-21 | 60,88,717 |
| 2021-22 | 63,00,459 |
| 2022-23 | 65,17,453 |
| 2023-24 | 67,30,415 |
| 2024-25 | 65,74,306 |
Source: sansad.in, as on 11 February 2025
Central funds released under IGNWPS by year
Money released by the Centre to states and UTs under the widow pension scheme in each financial year, from a Rajya Sabha answer of 8 August 2025.
| Year | Funds released (Rs crore) |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 1881.28 |
| 2021-22 | 1769.19 |
| 2022-23 | 2087.00 |
| 2023-24 | 2009.80 |
| 2024-25 | 2150.03 |
Source: sansad.in, as on 8 August 2025
Top 12 states by IGNWPS beneficiaries (2024-25)
States with the most widows covered under IGNWPS in 2024-25, as listed in the Lok Sabha answer of 11 February 2025.
| State | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 10,25,236 |
| West Bengal | 7,26,172 |
| Bihar | 6,34,221 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5,46,920 |
| Odisha | 5,21,410 |
| Tamil Nadu | 5,06,716 |
| Karnataka | 3,80,886 |
| Kerala | 3,20,715 |
| Rajasthan | 3,15,048 |
| Gujarat | 2,76,078 |
| Jharkhand | 2,54,520 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2,46,832 |
Source: sansad.in, as on 11 February 2025
How a widow gets the IGNWPS pension
What the numbers show
The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme is the second largest part of the National Social Assistance Programme after the old age pension. Each state and UT has a fixed cap on how many widows the Centre will fund, and the caps add up to 67,83,469 beneficiaries, according to a Rajya Sabha answer of 8 August 2025. The actual count reported for 2024-25 was 65,74,306.
The trend over the years
The Lok Sabha answer of 11 February 2025 lists beneficiaries for six years. The count was 61,65,037 in 2019-20, dipped to 60,88,717 in 2020-21, and then rose to a peak of 67,30,415 in 2023-24 before falling to 65,74,306 in 2024-25. Beneficiaries leave the rolls for reasons such as death, duplicate records, migration or no longer meeting the rules, and the same answer lists removals state by state.
Central releases followed a similar path. The Centre released Rs 1,881.28 crore in 2020-21, Rs 2,087.00 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 2,150.03 crore in 2024-25. The 2025-26 budget for the scheme is Rs 2,026.99 crore.
State differences
Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of widow pensioners at 10,25,236, followed by West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. Funds are released to each state on the basis of the number of beneficiaries it has digitised or its cap, whichever is lower, so a state that has not uploaded its records can receive less than its cap allows.
What the figures do not tell you
The figures count central assistance only. The pension a widow actually receives depends heavily on her state, since states add top-ups that range from Rs 50 to Rs 5,700 a month across NSAP pensions. Many states also run their own widow pension for women who fall outside the central cap or age limit, and those women do not appear in these numbers.
Where to check the live numbers
The NSAP portal at nsap.nic.in has a national dashboard with state and district beneficiary counts. The Ministry of Rural Development also gives state-wise figures in answers to Parliament questions, which are published on sansad.in.
Frequently asked questions
How many women get the widow pension under IGNWPS?
The Lok Sabha answer of 11 February 2025 put the number at 65,74,306 beneficiaries for 2024-25. The national cap on beneficiaries, as stated in the Rajya Sabha on 8 August 2025, is 67,83,469.
How much money does the Centre release under IGNWPS?
The Centre released Rs 2,150.03 crore to states and UTs in 2024-25, up from Rs 2,009.80 crore in 2023-24. The budget for 2025-26 is Rs 2,026.99 crore.
Which state has the most IGNWPS beneficiaries?
Uttar Pradesh, with 10,25,236 beneficiaries in 2024-25. West Bengal (7,26,172) and Bihar (6,34,221) come next.
What is the IGNWPS pension amount?
The central share is Rs 300 a month for widows aged 40 to 79 and Rs 500 a month from age 80. States add their own top-up, which the ministry says ranges from Rs 50 to Rs 5,700 a month across NSAP pensions.
Is there a plan to raise the widow pension amount?
Not at present. In its August 2025 replies the ministry said NSAP continues in its present form for the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26, with no proposal to revise the rate.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- sansad.in (sansad.in/getFile/annex/268/AU2384_qLzV6d.pdf?source=pqars)
- sansad.in (sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/184/AU1232_wct5m2.pdf?source=pqals)
- sansad.in (sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/185/AU3825_81y9WL.pdf?source=pqals)
- static.pib.gov.in (static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/nov/doc2025117686801)