An Analysis of Income and Consumption Pattern among Agricultural Labourer Households in Rural Punjab

Pattern of income and consumption is an important parameter to study the economic conditions of people living in any society. The present analysis is based upon primary data which collected from three different agro-climate regions of Punjab (South-west, Central plain and Shivalik foot-hill). Income from casual activities in agricultural accounts more than 40 per cent of the total income for an average agricultural labourer household followed by permanent agricultural labour and non-farm employment in rural Punjab. South-west region has recorded the highest share of permanent agricultural labour income, while Central plain and Shivalik foot-hill region has recorded the highest share of casual agricultural labour income. The per capita income is the highest in South-west region of Punjab. In all regions, an average household spends higher proportion of total consumption on non-durable items followed by marriages & other socio-religious ceremonies, services and durable items. There are slightly a few point differences between the expenditure on education and intoxicants among the sampled households.