Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday announced the launch of three key surveys, including the widely tracked Inflation Expectations Survey of Households, aimed at gathering crucial inputs for upcoming monetary policy decisions.
The central bank confirmed that the May 2026 round of the inflation expectations survey has begun, covering households across 19 cities to understand how consumers perceive price trends and inflation based on their individual spending patterns.
Inflation Expectations Survey To Track Price Trends
According to the RBI, the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households is designed to capture subjective views of households on price movements, including general inflation and price changes in specific product categories.
The survey will collect:
- Qualitative responses about expected price changes in the next three months and over the next year
- Quantitative responses estimating current inflation levels as well as expected inflation after three months and one year
These insights help policymakers understand how inflation expectations are evolving among consumers, which is considered an important factor while setting interest rates.
Urban And Rural Consumer Confidence Surveys Also Launched
Alongside the inflation expectations survey, the RBI has also launched the May 2026 rounds of:
- Urban Consumer Confidence Survey
- Rural Consumer Confidence Survey
The Urban Consumer Confidence Survey is conducted regularly across the same 19 cities, while the rural survey collects information from households in rural and semi-urban areas across 31 states and Union Territories.
These surveys gather data on public sentiment regarding:
- The overall economic situation
- Employment conditions
- Price levels
- Household income
- Spending behaviour
- Future economic expectations over the next year
Such data provides a clearer picture of economic confidence levels across different regions of the country.
Cities Covered Under The Surveys
The surveys are being conducted in 19 major cities, including:
- Ahmedabad
- Bengaluru
- Bhopal
- Bhubaneswar
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Guwahati
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Jammu
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- Nagpur
- Patna
- Raipur
- Ranchi
- Thiruvananthapuram
These cities represent a broad mix of regional economies and consumer bases, helping the RBI generate more accurate nationwide insights.
Survey Findings To Influence Monetary Policy Decisions
The RBI stated that the findings from these surveys will serve as important inputs for monetary policy formulation, particularly in understanding inflation expectations and consumer sentiment.
Such data becomes especially significant ahead of major policy decisions taken by the central bank’s rate-setting body, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
The next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled to take place from June 3 to June 5, 2026, where interest rate decisions and inflation outlook assessments will be discussed.