Kohima: A government-backed study on income distribution in Nagaland has revealed a widening economic divide in the state, with the top 5 percent of households accounting for nearly 21 percent of total income while the bottom 50 percent account for only around 18 percent.
The findings were published in the “Report on Income Disparity in Nagaland,” a comprehensive survey conducted between October and December 2024 covering 4,396 households across both rural and urban areas of the state.
According to the report, Nagaland’s Gini coefficient — a standard measure of income inequality — stands at 0.46, a level economists generally classify as high inequality. The higher the coefficient approaches 1, the greater the disparity in income distribution.
The study highlights a stark contrast between the state’s highest and lowest income groups. While the top 5 percent of households recorded an average monthly income of ₹71,028, the bottom 50 percent reported an average monthly income of just ₹1,639.
The survey was conducted under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)’s Support for Statistical Strengthening Sub-scheme in collaboration with Hyderabad University. Researchers surveyed 1,315 households across 60 urban wards and 3,080 households in 140 rural villages throughout Nagaland.
Interestingly, urban areas showed slightly higher inequality than rural regions. Urban Nagaland recorded a Gini coefficient of 0.44 compared to 0.42 in rural areas, suggesting that economic gains in towns and commercial centers may be increasingly concentrated among a smaller section of the population.
At the district level, Longleng recorded the highest income inequality in the state with a Gini coefficient of 0.492. The district also registered the highest disparity in both rural (0.456) and urban (0.509) categories.
On the other hand, Phek recorded the lowest overall inequality at 0.366, while Zunheboto reported the lowest disparity in both rural (0.330) and urban (0.359) segments.
The report paints one of the clearest statistical pictures yet of Nagaland’s widening income divide and raises broader questions about how economic growth, development programmes, and government welfare schemes are being distributed across the state.
Economists and policy observers say the findings underline the need for stronger employment generation, rural infrastructure development, entrepreneurship promotion, and more inclusive economic planning to prevent further widening of the income gap.
The report is expected to trigger wider discussions on economic inequality, regional imbalance, and equitable development in Nagaland in the coming months.