Archive · 27 Jan 2026
Economic Survey 2020 Introduces 'Thalinomics' to Measure Food Affordability
In 2020, the Economic Survey introduced a new way to understand food prices in India called 'Thalinomics.'
This idea uses the cost of a typical Indian thali (a plate of food) to show how affordable food has become over time.
The survey looked at data from 2006 to 2019 and found that food has become more affordable.
For example, in 2019, people needed to spend less of their daily wages to buy the same amount of food compared to 2006.
Jharkhand was found to be the most affordable state for food.
The survey also noted that important changes in farming and markets around 2015-16 helped make food more affordable.
The Economic Survey 2020 introduced 'Thalinomics' to measure food affordability using the cost of an Indian thali.
The study covered 80 centers across 25 states and Union Territories from April 2006 to October 2019.
Findings showed that vegetarian thalis became more affordable, with the wage share required declining from 70% in 2006-07 to 50% in 2019-20.
Non-vegetarian thalis also became more affordable, with the wage share required declining from 93% to 79% over the same period.
Jharkhand emerged as the most affordable state for food, where two vegetarian thalis cost around 25% of an employee's daily wage in 2019-20.
- Who
- Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian and the Economic Survey 2020 team
- What
- Introduction of 'Thalinomics' to measure food affordability
- When
- 2020
- Where
- India, covering 80 centers across 25 states and Union Territories
- Why
- To bridge the gap between economic trends and common citizen understanding
- Concept
- Thalinomics
- Year Introduced
- 2020
- Purpose
- Measure food affordability using the cost of an Indian thali
- Data Period
- April 2006 to October 2019
- Regions Covered
- 80 centers across 25 states and Union Territories
- Key Finding
- Improvement in affordability of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis
- Most Affordable State
- Jharkhand
- Turning Point Year
- 2015-16