Centre to launch nationwide income survey from February to assess household earnings and poverty levels
New Delhi : Even as Karnataka pushes ahead with its caste census, the Central government is preparing to roll out a massive National Household Income Survey (NHIS) from February next year. The survey aims to collect detailed data on household income, expenditure, and living conditions across India — the first such comprehensive income-based assessment at a national level.
The initiative will be conducted under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through the National Statistical Office (NSO). Officials say the exercise will fill a long-standing data gap in India’s socio-economic landscape by providing concrete insights into household earnings and poverty patterns.
According to MoSPI, the NHIS will gather information about people’s living standards, income sources, spending patterns, and socio-economic well-being. The findings will help policymakers evaluate poverty levels, inequality, and the impact of welfare schemes.
A technical expert committee chaired by Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, former Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has been constituted to oversee the survey design and execution.
A pilot survey was already carried out between August 4 and 8 this year in six major metros — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad — covering both urban and rural areas. The pilot assessed the feasibility of collecting accurate data from households across different income brackets.
The NHIS questionnaire will include data on:
- Family demographics, religion, and caste details.
- Sources of income from agriculture, business, or employment.
- Expenditure on food, housing, health, and education.
- Ownership of land or property, and debt liabilities.
The survey will place India in line with global standards followed in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, where household income surveys guide economic and welfare policies. The results are expected to provide a clearer picture of poverty, inequality, and living standards across the country.
