Country’s first household income survey to start from Feb 2026:Gov aims to ascertain the level of economic inequality and poverty

For the first time in the country, an income survey is going to be conducted. The government is planning to launch the National Household Income Survey (NHIS) in February next year. This information was given by Saurabh Garg, Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in an interview with The Indian Express. For the first time in India, such a survey is going to be conducted, which will collect complete accounts of every household’s income. This survey will reveal how much people earn in different parts of the country, what their sources of income are, and what their economic status is. The objective of this survey is to help the government understand the level of economic inequality and poverty in the country, as well as which areas need more attention. According to Garg, this is the most complex and challenging survey to date. Let’s understand this entire news in a QA format Question 1. Why is this survey so special? Answer: For the first time, such a large and extensive survey of people’s income is being conducted across the country. Until now, the government has data on consumption (how much people spend) and employment, but no complete data on income. This will help the government understand how many people are poor, how many are in the middle class, and how many are rich. This information will help in policy making, providing subsidies, and improving other government schemes. Question 2. How will this survey be conducted? Answer: Teams from the Ministry of Statistics will visit villages and cities to talk to people. They will collect information on their income, as well as expenses, savings, and other economic activities. All of this will be done digitally and in a very managed way so that data can be collected accurately and quickly.