India To Launch Its First-Ever Household Income Survey: What is It? When It Will Be Held? All You Need To Kn

Household Income Survey: Taking a significant step towards enhancing the quality of economic data, India will soon join countries like Australia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa in conducting a comprehensive Household Income Survey, announced the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Monday, June 25. India's first-of-its-kind survey is scheduled for 2026 and aims to generate reliable and detailed income statistics to better reflect the financial landscape of Indian households.

The proposed Household Income Survey will the first comprehensive full-fledged survey on income distribution by the National Sample Survey (NSS). Till now, NSS has undertaken multiple pilot projects related to National Income Survey, but there no execution of nationwide survey. But what is National Income Survey? How it will be executed? When will it begin? Here are all the details you need to know about NIH.

What is Household Income Survey?

Household income survey will be conducted to measure household income and assess the impact of adoption of technology on wages. Household income survey may help NSS in the collection of data on household income. MoSPI didn't provide details about different metrics which may be used during the survey.

When Will Household Income Survey be Conducted?

The Household Income Survey is tentatively scheduled for 2026. However, there is no information about the month of beginning of the survey.

Household Income Survey: Who Will Decide Method, Estimation, Other Aspects Of Survey?

According to the MoSPI, the a Technical Expert Group (TEG) is being set up to guide the ministry on the method of estimation and other aspects of the survey. "MoSPI has constituted a Technical Expert Group (TEG) under the Chairmanship of Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, Former Executive Director of India, International Monetary Fund. The TEG will guide the National Statistics Office towards conducting an all-India income distribution survey, tentatively scheduled for 2026," read a press release of MoSPI.

The expert group will help MoSPI in guidance related to the finalisation of concepts and definitions, preparation of the survey method and instruments, sampling design and method of estimation. According to PIB, the group would help in incorporating best country practices as adopted across the world.

TEG Members Behind Execution of Household Income Survey

The Technical Exepert Group (TEG) will work under the chairmanship of Surgit S Bhalla and will include other members like Aloke Kar, Former Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata; Sonalde Desai, National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi; Praveen Jha, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU; Prof. Srijit Mishra, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad; Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist, National Stock Exchange of India; Rajesh Shukla, Managing Director & CEO, People Research on India's Consumer Economy; and Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics.

In addition to these members, TEG may also expand in future based on the requirement at that time. As per PIB release, TEG may enlist the assistance of subject experts within or outside the government and can even co-opt them as members. However, inclusion of new members in TEG may require approval from the competent authority, but TEG can invite subject experts in the meeting as special invitee.