NSS & PLFS — Employment and Consumption Surveys¶
India's primary source for employment, wages, consumption expenditure, and inequality data — indispensable for economic research.
Provider
MOSPI (Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation)
Website
Access Level
🟡 Free Registration for Unit-Level Data
Formats Available
CSV, Stata (.dta), SAS, Fixed-Width Text
Coverage
National → State (sample survey)
Key Surveys
NSS (periodic rounds), PLFS (annual + quarterly)
NSS vs PLFS — What's the Difference?¶
| Feature | NSS (National Sample Survey) | PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 1950 | 2017 |
| Frequency | Periodic "rounds" (every 5 yrs) | Annual report + quarterly urban |
| Topics | Employment, consumption, health, housing | Employment and unemployment only |
| Sample size | 1–2 lakh households | ~1 lakh households/year |
| Best for | Consumption poverty, specific sectors | Tracking unemployment trends |
Key NSS Rounds for Researchers¶
| Round | Year | Topic | Why Important |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61st | 2004–05 | Employment & Unemployment | Pre-reform benchmark |
| 66th | 2009–10 | Employment & Unemployment | Post-financial crisis |
| 68th | 2011–12 | Employment & Unemployment | Most cited recent round |
| 70th | 2013 | Drinking Water, Sanitation | Key for WASH analysis |
| 72nd | 2014–15 | Social Consumption | Health and education expenditure |
| 75th | 2017–18 | Household Consumption | Poverty measurement update |
| 76th | 2018 | Drinking Water & Sanitation | Post-Swachh Bharat data |
PLFS Annual Reports (Free, No Login)¶
The PLFS annual summary reports are freely available without registration:
- Go to mospi.gov.in
- Navigate: Statistics → Labour & Employment → PLFS
- Download Annual Report (PDF with state-wise tables)
- Also available: Quarterly Bulletin (urban employment only)
Key PLFS indicators you'll find:
| Indicator | Definition |
|---|---|
| UPSS Unemployment Rate | Persons unemployed for majority of the year |
| CWS Unemployment Rate | Persons unemployed in reference week |
| LFPR | Labour Force Participation Rate |
| WPR | Worker Population Ratio |
| FLFPR | Female Labour Force Participation Rate |
Related Datasets¶
- Census of India — Workers classification (complementary to PLFS)
- MGNREGA — Employment scheme data
- NDAP — Composite district indicators including employment
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