You might remember, till a few days ago there was a lot of discussion about ethanol. There was a fierce debate going on on social media. Meanwhile, PM Modi raised the issue of Naxal being mentally ill from the Red Fort, on which there was a lot of discussion. But the real party was looted by GDP.
On the economy front, the GDP growth figure of 7.8% not only caught the attention of experts and the market, but also impressed Google. In the last few days, the most discussed issues in the country included topics like ethanol, E20 and mental Naxalism. But as soon as the GDP figures came, the picture changed in the search world.
This is how all three topics were searched on Google.
What are these figures saying?
According to Google Trends data, in the week ending September 7, the online search interest of GDP remained consistently higher than that of ethanol, E20 and brainless Naxal. That is, the GDP debate about which was sparked from TV studios to social media, is now being heard in people’s Google searches.
The figure of 7.8% came and GDP became famous
India’s economy registered a strong growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of the current financial year. This figure has come at a time when many big economies of the world are facing challenges like recession, inflation and trade tensions.
As soon as the GDP figures came out, discussion started regarding its meaning, calculation and economic pace of India. There is also increased interest among the common people to know what the meaning of 7.8% GDP growth is and what effect it will have on their pockets? This is the reason why GDP searches on Google were seen increasing rapidly.
Ethanol and E20 also discussed a lot
Recently there was a lot of debate regarding E20 petrol and ethanol blending. From increasing the amount of ethanol in petrol to the possible impact on the mileage and engine of vehicles, many questions were discussed among the people. On the other hand, there was intense political and social media debate regarding the term ‘mindful Naxal’. But Google Trends data shows that amidst these popular issues, the search interest in GDP remained high.
It is also important to understand one important thing here. The search interest of a word in Google Trends does not mean how many times people searched that word. It shows the relative popularity between different times and topics.
Why did people’s interest in GDP increase?
GDP i.e. growth rate is a major measure of measuring the total economic value of goods and services produced in a country during a given period. When GDP growth is fast, it is generally seen as a sign of the strength of the economy. It can also affect investment, business of companies, employment and economic policies of the government. Therefore, GDP figures are not important only for economists. It has importance for everyone, from job seekers to businessmen, investors and people who invest money in the stock market.
What does the GDP trend tell in Google Search?
In a way, the surge in GDP searches can be considered as an indication that economic data has attracted the attention of common people. Especially when there is a debate going on between the government and the opposition regarding the interpretation of the figures regarding 7.8% growth and the market is also keeping an eye on the economic growth.
That means it is not just a matter of whether GDP increased or not. Now people are also interested in understanding where such rapid growth came from, who will benefit from it and what the pace of the economy can be in the future.
