Affluence amid growing inequality: Counting the rich hiding in plain sight in India

India knows how to count the poor. From ration cards to multi-decade surveys such as the National Sample Survey, there are sophisticated systems to track deprivation – who’s getting by, who’s falling behind, who needs support.

But when it comes to the rich – or even just the securely well-off – we’re oddly clueless.

This isn’t just a data oversight. It’s a conceptual blind spot in how we think about economic life. In a country where inequality is widening and wealth is concentrating, we still don’t have a clear picture of who’s doing well, how they live, and what that means for the rest of society.

What people own – and what that ownership says about their place in the social and economic hierarchy – is one of the most revealing indicators we have. Research by this author suggests a way to access and use that information.

The rich are hiding in plain sight

Affluence is everywhere – in the high-rise towers of Gurugram, the global luxury brands in Delhi’s malls, the soaring numbers of Indians flying business class, sending their kids abroad, or buying second homes. India has more than 1.4 million dollar-millionaires, according to theCredit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2023 – and yet, we don’t have reliable public data on what they...

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