RBI launches 3 key surveys for monetary policy input

The rural consumer confidence survey collects current perceptions and one-year-ahead expectations of households on the general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending from the households residing in the rural and semi-urban areas across 31 states UTs. The results of the surveys provide useful inputs for monetary policy, the central bank said.

The Reserve Bank on Wednesday announced the commencement of three key surveys, including on inflation expectations, to collect inputs for its monetary policy. The RBI said it has launched the May 2026 round of the 'inflation expectations survey of households' to capture subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, based on their individual consumption baskets, across 19 cities. ''The survey seeks qualitative responses from households on price changes (general prices as well as prices of specific product groups) in the three months ahead as well as in the one-year ahead period and quantitative responses on current, three months ahead and one year ahead inflation rates,'' it said. The central bank also announced the launch of the May 2026 rounds of the rural consumer confidence survey and urban consumer confidence survey. The RBI said the urban consumer confidence survey is conducted regularly in 19 cities. The 19 cities covered in the inflation expectations survey and urban consumer confidence survey are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Thiruvananthapuram. The rural consumer confidence survey collects current perceptions and one-year-ahead expectations of households on the general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending from the households residing in the rural and semi-urban areas across 31 states/ UTs. The results of the surveys provide useful inputs for monetary policy, the central bank said. The next meeting of the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) or the rate-setting panel is scheduled from June 3 to 5, 2026.