Household Income Survey 2026

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) plans to conduct an all-India income distribution survey in 2026.

NSS has launched new annual surveys on: Unincorporated sector enterprises, Service sectors,
Private sector capital investment, and Domestic travel and tourism.
These surveys aim to fill data gaps in India’s macroeconomic statistics.

What Is the Household Income Survey?

Household Income Survey

It is India’s first full-scale national survey to measure household income and its distribution across the country.
The survey will also study how technology adoption affects wages and income patterns

India has never conducted a comprehensive income survey before—only pilot studies were done in the 1950s, 60s, and 80s.
Past attempts failed due to data reliability issues, where reported income was lower than consumption and savings combined.
The new survey aims to fill this critical data gap and support evidence-based policymaking.

Household income levels across different regions and sectors.
Sources of income (wages, rent, pensions, remittances, etc.).
Impact of digital and technological changes on earnings.
Sampling design, estimation methods, and global best practices will be incorporated

Technical Expert Group (TEG): To address the challenges and ensure a successful survey, a Technical Expert Group (TEG) has been formed.
Purpose of TEG: This group will guide the National Statistics Office (NSO) in all aspects of conducting an all-India income distribution survey,

The TEG will provide crucial guidance on:

Concepts and Definitions: Deciding what exactly counts as income and how different types of income will be defined.
Survey Methods and Tools: Developing the best ways to collect data and creating the necessary questionnaires.
Sampling and Estimation: Deciding how to select households for the survey and how to analyze the collected data to get accurate national estimates.
Best Practices: Incorporating successful approaches used in similar surveys in countries like Australia, USA, Canada, and South Africa.
Reporting: Guiding the finalization of the survey results and the official report.

It is a large-scale, continuous survey program under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Launched in 1950 on the recommendation of the National Income Committee, chaired by Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis.
Conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), now part of the National Statistical Office (NSO).
- NSSO (Established in 1970) was the operational arm conducting NSS surveys.
- In May 2019, the Government of India merged NSSO and CSO to form the National Statistical Office (NSO).
- NSO now serves as the central authority for all official statistics in India under MoSPI.
Key functions
- Conducts multi-subject socio-economic surveys regularly.
- Supports Annual Survey of Industries, crop estimation, and price data collection.
- NSS data is crucial for government policy-making.

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