Key Points

The central bank conducts these surveys quarterly to assess consumer views on inflation and general price movements of products.

The survey is designed to understand households' perceptions of price changes in both general terms and across specific product groups. 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. The results of this survey provide valuable inputs for monetary policy.

The survey is being conducted in 19 cities, which include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Thiruvananthapuram. These cities were chosen to reflect diverse consumption patterns from different regions of the country.

For this round, the RBI has engaged a Mumbai-based agency to carry out the survey on its behalf. Selected households in these cities will be approached directly by the agency's representatives to record their responses.

The RBI survey is also open online for broader public participation. Individuals who are not approached by the agency can still contribute by filling out the survey forms available through the link provided on the RBI website. The central bank has highlighted that such inputs are crucial in understanding how people perceive changes in everyday costs, ranging from essential goods to services.

By gathering these views, the RBI aims to strengthen its understanding of inflation expectations at the household level. The survey results will be published on the RBI's official platforms.

- ANI