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A newly released government report has revealed significant income inequality in Nagaland, with the bottom 50 per cent of households receiving only 18 per cent of the state’s total income, while the top 5 per cent account for nearly 21 per cent.
The findings were published in the Report on Income Disparity in Nagaland, released by Sentiyanger Imchen on May 7.
According to the report, households in the top 5 per cent income bracket earn an average monthly income of Rs 71,028, while households in the bottom 50 per cent earn only Rs 1,639 on average per month, highlighting a sharp income gap across the state.
The report recorded Nagaland’s Gini coefficient at 0.46, a standard measure of income inequality where 0 represents complete equality and 1 indicates extreme inequality.
Prepared under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s statistical strengthening programme in collaboration with University of Hyderabad, the study was based on a field survey conducted between October and December 2024.
A total of 4,396 households were surveyed across the state, including families from both urban and rural areas. The report found that urban areas recorded slightly higher income inequality, with a Gini coefficient of 0.44, compared to 0.42 in rural regions.
Among districts, Longleng recorded the highest income disparity with a Gini coefficient of 0.492, while Phek reported the lowest at 0.366.
The report offers a detailed snapshot of income distribution in Nagaland and is expected to help shape future policy decisions aimed at reducing economic inequality across the state.