India to launch first nationwide household income survey in 2026 to decode structural shifts in economy

The National Sample Survey (NSS) will undertake India’s first full-fledged Household Income Survey in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country’s data architecture.

Despite its long-standing reputation for high-quality, large-scale household surveys, NSS has never conducted a nationwide survey focused exclusively on income distribution.

“Recognising 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 over the past 75 years,” the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation said in a statement.

The ministry has formulated an eight-member Technical Expert Group (TEG) to guide the design and execution of the survey.

While the NSS has consistently gathered data on consumption, employment, health, and education, efforts to collect income-related information remained confined to pilot surveys and experimental exercises, none of which resulted in a national rollout.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) had earlier attempted to collect household income data during the 1950s, 1960s, and again in 1983-84, making the 2026 attempt the sixth one by the ministry. However, those initiatives were either discontinued or failed to produce reliable estimates.

The primary challenge has been the difficulty in capturing accurate income data in the field, given self-reporting inconsistencies and informal sources of earnings complicate measurement.

“These efforts were not continued as it was found that the estimates of income were lower than the estimates of consumption and savings put together,” the ministry added.

To overcome these challenges, MoSPI has constituted the TEG under the chairmanship of economist Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla, former Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund. The panel comprises 8 academics and experts from premier institutions including the Indian Statistical Institute, JNU, University of Hyderabad, Delhi School of Economics, NCAER, and the National Stock Exchange.

This includes Aloke Kar, a former ISI Kolkata professor; Prof. Sonalde Desai, NCAER; Prof. Praveen Jha, JNU; Prof. Srijit Mishra, University of Hyderabad; Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik, NSE Chief Economist; Dr. Rajesh Shukla, Managing Director & CEO, People Research on India's Consumer Economy; and Prof. Ram Singh, Director, DSE.

The TEG will advise on all key aspects of the survey, from concepts, sampling methods, and field instruments to international best practices and estimation strategies. The survey also aims to assess the impact of technology on household income, particularly wages, as India undergoes rapid digital and structural economic transformation.

The planned income survey adds to a series of new initiatives recently taken by NSS to bridge data gaps. These include annual surveys on unincorporated enterprises, domestic tourism, and private sector capital expenditure. The upcoming income survey is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping welfare and tax policies by delivering a clearer picture of income inequality, economic well-being, and household-level financial health.