MoSPI, Household Income Survey:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) officially announced the launch of the Household Income Survey (HIS), set to begin in February 2026. The announcement came through a recent MoSPI statement, outlining the survey’s goal to estimate the average income of rural and urban households across India and provide a clearer picture of living standards, income disparities, and poverty levels nationwide.
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This new initiative by the National Statistics Office (NSO) will complement the existing Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys, which have so far been the primary source of data on household economic conditions. Experts note that while consumption data is useful, it does not fully capture the nuances of household income, making the HIS a crucial step forward.
Income surveys have proven challenging in the past. The NSO conducted attempts to collect household income data in its ninth (1955) and 15th (1959) rounds, but these were not published. The Situation Assessment Survey of Farmer Households (SAS) in 2003 remains the largest source of rural income data, but its focus was limited to agricultural households, not representing the broader population.
In the 1960s, NSO’s Integrated Household Surveys collected data on receipts and disbursements, but these income estimates were lower than the combined consumption and savings figures, highlighting the difficulties in measuring income accurately. Another pilot survey in 1983–84 explored methods to collect income data but did not expand to a full-scale survey.
To guide the new survey, MoSPI has formed a Technical Expert Group (TEG) chaired by Surjit S Bhalla, former Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The group includes leading statisticians and economists from top institutions like the Indian Statistical Institute, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), National Stock Exchange, and Delhi School of Economics.
The TEG will help finalise the survey’s concepts, definitions, methodology, sampling design, and estimation techniques, incorporating best international practices. The survey will also examine the impact of technological adoption on household income and wages, reflecting changes in the economy.
This comprehensive Household Income Survey is expected to enhance India’s data infrastructure, providing policymakers with better tools to address income inequality, poverty, and economic development challenges.
