Number Theory: How much does an average Indian earn?

The average annual per capita income of households interviewed in the LASI survey conducted in 2017-18 is ₹44,901. This is just about 39% of the per capita income in the same year according to the National Account Statistics

India’s per capita annual income in 2019-20 was ₹1,26,968, according to provisional estimates published on January 7. This average, given India’s large income inequality, is not representative of the earnings of average Indians. Because India does not publish income statistics, and because consumption estimates, which are the next best proxy, have not been published since 2011-12, there is a debate around average incomes of Indians across class and social groups.

On average, perceived destitution (financial condition being well below average) is 3.4 times more widespread than perceived opulence (financial condition being well above average) in India.(PTI image)