The second NABARD All-India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey of 2021–22 provides very interesting insights into the changes in income and expenditure patterns and the levels of financial literacy and inclusion of rural households. A striking aspect of the survey findings is the sharp rise in the share of agricultural households in the rural sector with the numbers suddenly shooting up from 48% in 2016–17 to 56.7% in 2021–22.
Despite sizeable gains in rural incomes, the financial inclusion levels still remain too low for comfort.