Monthly income of an average Indian crosses Rs 3,000

The monthly income of an average Indian for the first time in the country's history has crossed Rs 3,000, thanks to economic reforms and a high growth rate of above 9 per cent achieved for three years since 2005-06.

The per capita income, a measure of average income of a citizen, went up 12.2 per cent to Rs 37,490 per annum during 2008-09, said the advance estimate for national income released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) on Friday.

During 2007-08, the per capita income was Rs 33,283 per annum.

The CSO data further reveals that the per capita income at constant (1999-2000) prices during the last fiscal rose to Rs 25,494 per annum from Rs 24,295 per annum in the previous year, recording a growth rate of 4.9 per cent.

The per capita income would have been higher but for the global economic crisis, which pulled down the country's economic growth during 2008-09 to 6.7 per cent from 9 per cent in the previous fiscal.

The national income during the year went up to Rs 43.26 lakh crore, showing a rise of 14.2 per cent, while the population of the country increased by 1.6 crore (16 million) to 115.4 crore (1.15 billion).

The CSO data further says that the national income at 1999-2000 prices increased by 6.4 per cent to Rs 29.42 lakh crore during 2008-09.