The bottom 50% of households in Nagaland receive only around 18% of the total income, while the top 5% account for nearly 21% of the gross income, according to a government report released by Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen on Thursday. The report, 'Report on Income Disparity in Nagaland', found that the top 5% households in the State have an average monthly income of ₹71,028, whereas the bottom 50% households earn an average monthly income of only ₹1,639.

The State recorded a Gini coefficient of 0.46, a measure commonly used for income inequality, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 indicates extreme inequality. The survey covered 4,396 households across Nagaland, including 1,315 households from 60 urban wards and 3,080 households from 140 villages.

The findings showed that the Gini coefficient for rural areas stood at 0.42, while urban areas recorded 0.44, indicating that income inequality in towns is marginally higher than in villages. Among the districts, Longleng recorded the highest income inequality with a Gini coefficient of 0.492, while Phek registered the lowest disparity at 0.366.

The report's release is expected to prompt official responses and potential policy initiatives to address the significant income disparity in Nagaland. The state government will likely review the report's findings and consider measures to reduce income inequality and promote economic growth.