This publication is based on the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure 2004–05 (NSHIE), covering over 63,000 households out of a preliminary listed sample of 440,000 in rural and urban India spread over 24 states. The book presents an in-depth analysis of the economic well-being of the Indian population using thorough socioeconomic and demographic indicators at the household level (ruralurban, sector of employment, major source of income, state of residence, and social group), and for chief earners (occupation, education, age, and so on).