New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- The reliability of the household consumption surveys conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) for 2022-23 and 2023-24 for the measurement of poverty and inequality is a matter of debate. More so with regard to their comparability with past estimates of consumption expenditure. But these surveys are also important sources of data for inputs to several other macro indicators such as the National Accounts and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), both of which use these for updating the base year.

Meanwhile, the National Statistical Office (NSO) has decided to carry out a survey of household incomes. As part of the exercise, last month it released a Brief Report on Pre-testing of Schedule of Household Income Survey...