This report provides updated estimates of family living expenses and living wage for rural Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The update for 2023 takes into account payroll deductions and inflation since the original Anker living wage study carried out in December 2015 (Kuriakose and Kaicker, 2015).

This report provides updated estimates of family living expenses and living wage for rural Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The update for 2022 takes into account payroll deductions and inflation since the original Anker living wage study carried out in December 2015 (Kuriakose and Kaicker, 2015).

This report updates the living wage and living expenses for the rural area of Bhadohi District in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India. The net living wage and living expenses are updated to the study month of the most recent calendar year – December 2019 – to take into account the amount of inflation since the original December 2015 living wage study. Without accounting for inflation, the net living wage estimated in 2015 would not be sufficient for workers to have a basic but decent standard of living in 2019, because the purchasing power of the living wage would have decreased compared to what it was in 2015. Similarly, living expenses for a reference family are also updated to December 2019 to account for inflation. As there are no applicable mandatory payroll deductions for rural piece-rate work, the net and gross living wages are the same.

This report estimates a living wage for workers in rural areas of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, for November-December 2015. The report is prepared on the basis of secondary data, as well as primary data, collected through field investigation in the rural areas of Bhadohi district, near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, with a focus on areas where workers, engaged in the carpet weaving industry, live. The draft report was further discussed with stakeholders including NGOs, academicians, local workers (weavers), subcontractors and factory owners, after which appropriate corrections and modifications were incorporated.