R. Suryamurthy / NEW DELHI
Government will conduct its first comprehensive nationwide household income survey in 2026, aiming to bridge a significant data gap and better understand economic shifts over the past 75 years, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced on Monday.
The National Sample Survey (NSS), a division of MoSPI, has long been recognised for its extensive household surveys, but has never undertaken a full-fledged study on income distribution across the country. Previous pilot surveys in the 1950s and 1960s were not expanded due to difficulties in collecting reliable data, with income estimates often falling short of consumption and savings.
“Despite its extensive experience, NSS has not yet undertaken a comprehensive full-fledged survey on income distribution,” MoSPI said in a statement. “Recognizing the growing significance of such data, NSS acknowledges the urgent need for a dedicated income distribution survey to better understand the profound structural changes that have occurred in the Indian economy.”
To guide this ambitious undertaking, MoSPI has established a Technical Expert Group (TEG) chaired by Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, former Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund.
The TEG will be responsible for finalising concepts and definitions, developing survey methods and instruments, and designing the sampling and estimation methodologies. It will also draw on international best practices from countries such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa. A key objective of the survey will be to assess the impact of technology adoption on household income and wages.
The initiative comes as MoSPI seeks to address various data gaps in social and economic areas, having recently launched annual surveys on unincorporated sector enterprises, service sectors, private sector capital expenditure, and domestic travel and tourism.
Other prominent members of the TEG include:
Aloke Kar, Former Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
Prof. Sonalde Desai, National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi
Prof. Praveen Jha, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU
Prof. Srijit Mishra, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad
Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist, National Stock Exchange of India
Dr. Rajesh Shukla, Managing Director & CEO, People Research on India’s Consumer Economy
Prof. Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics
The TEG has the authority to co-opt additional subject matter experts as required.
The 2026 Household Income Survey is expected to provide critical data for policymakers, offering a more nuanced understanding of income disparities and India’s evolving economic landscape.
(R. Suryamurthy is a senior economic journalist based in Delhi.)
