MGNREGA demand dips 19% as agriculture activities pick up pace

Demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dropped 19.42 per cent in July, as compared to the same period last year.

Sequentially, there was a sharper 28.31 per cent dip as sowing activities picked up pace due to the onset of monsoon in many parts of the country.

July and August are usually considered lean months for the scheme in terms of demand for work as agricultural activities are in full swing in the rural parts of the country.

However, whether fluctuations in work demand are a true reflection of rural distress or prosperity is open to debate. 

The Economic Survey of FY-24 tabled in Parliament a few weeks ago said if that was the case then data trends should show that States with more poverty and higher unemployment rates use more of the scheme’s funds and generate more employment person-days. 

And, additionally, there might be a correlation between MGNREGS fund usage and reduced unemployment. 


Households Demanding Work Under MGNREGA Every Year 
In Millions

Year	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	January	February	March
2014-15	15.3	19.59	23.12	16.42	10.02	8.76	7.29	7.56	8.69	12.41	12.41	13.53
2015-16	11.51	16.42	19.29	15.42	13.17	13.65	13.53	13.57	18.79	22.35	24.27	20.55
2016-17	18.66	25.26	27.82	17.9	14.31	11.38	8.34	8.5	11.84	15.18	18.6	19.64
2017-18	17.75	25.7	26.66	17.32	12.88	10.75	11.7	11.23	13.32	15.6	17.61	17.4
2018-19	16.82	20.76	23.04	17.6	14.96	14.3	15.93	16.84	19.47	21.26	21.23	20.27
2019-20	21.05	24.7	25.43	18.35	14.59	14.26	12.91	15.2	17.03	18.87	22.24	20.74
2020-21	13.41	37.3	44.78	31.98	24.31	24.39	24.36	22.75	26.53	26.34	28.67	26.23
2021-22	26.18	26.58	33.97	31.34	24.66	24.02	20.46	20.62	24.03	23.36	23.79	24.05
2022-23	22.57	30.74	31.67	20.43	15.97	16.73	15.5	18.55	21.18	20.7	21.17	22.57
2023-24	24.06	31.73	33.71	23.48	19.12	18.51	18.35	17.67	19.93	19.65	21.19	18.23

2024-25

21.51

27.19

26.39

18.92*

*Provisional
Source: MGNREGA