Lok Sabha Question No. 1367 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-09
Subject: Inequality Database
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Imtiaz Jaleel Syed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1367

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2022

## INEQUALITY DATABASE

1367.  SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether  as  per  the  world  inequality  database,  the   share  of  the top  10%   in  India's  national  income  was  about  56%  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the   Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)-  National Indicator Framework, Progress Report  2019 and 2020 continue to rely on NSSO data from 2011 and 2012 and National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -4 data from 2015-16 for several indicators of wealth inequality on SDG 10;
- (c)  if so, when this data is likely to be updated and made available;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  regularly  compile  evidence  on wealth and income in India; and
- (e)  if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION,  MINISTER  OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

- (a): As per World Inequality Report, 2022 published by World Inequality Lab  in  partnership  with  United  Nations  Development  Programme (UNDP), the share of top 10% people in India's National Income was equal to 57% in 2021.

(b)  &  (c):  The  United  Nations  General  Assembly,  in  its  70 th   Session held on 25 th September 2015, considered and adopted the 17 Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)  which  came  into  force  with effect  from  1 st   January, 2016.  SDGs are comprehensive list of global goals  integrating  the  social,  economic  and  environmental  sectors  of development. The SDG 10, i.e.  'Reduce inequality within and among countries', aims at reducing inequality within and among countries. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released  the  progress  report  2021  (version  3.1)  on  SDGs  National Indicator Framework (NIF) on 29 th  June, 2021, which includes targets and  national  indicators  under  SDG  10.  These  indicators  of  SDG  10 inter-alia include wealth inequality related indicators which are based on the data of Household Consumer expenditure Survey (HCES) 201112. This Ministry has  carried out an All-India  survey  on  Household Consumer Expenditure during NSS 75 th  round (July 2017- June 2018). The Ministry has followed a rigorous procedure for vetting of data and reports which are produced through surveys. The results of this survey were  examined  and  it  was  observed  that  there  was  a  significant variation  in  the  levels  in  the  consumption  pattern  as  well  as  in  the direction  of  the  change  while  comparing  with  other  administrative data sources. The matter was also referred to a Committee of Experts which has recommended refining the survey methodology and improving the data quality aspects on a concurrent basis and it was decided that the results of HCES 2017-2018 would not be released. The  latest  data  on  Consumer  Expenditure  Survey  published  by  this Ministry  is  the  report  on  Consumer  Expenditure  Survey  (NSS  68 th Round: July, 2011-June, 2012). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation  which prevailed during 2020  &  2021, the period  was considered to be an abnormal one and hence Consumer Expenditure Survey was not taken up. (d)  &  (e): The  National  Statistical  Office,  MoSPI  annually   publishes 'National Accounts Statistics' which inter-alia includes the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), National Income etc.

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