MGNREGA work demand down 6.6% at 20.1 million in April, shows data

The FY-26 Union Budget had allocated Rs 86,000 crore for the programme for 2025-26, which is exactly the same as the revised and budget estimates of FY-25

Households demanding work under the flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dipped to 20.1 million in April,  which was 6.6 per cent lower than the same month last year, and the lowest for the month since 2020-21.  In comparison to pre-Covid years, the work demand for April remains high but the gap is narrowing. Sequentially, the number of workers demanding work under the scheme in April 2025 was higher than March 2025.  The FY26 Union Budget allocated ₹86,000 crore for MGNREGA, which is the same as the Revised and Budget Estimates.  Approved labour budget for the scheme is around 199 crore persondays, which is 18.44 per cent less than the actual labour budget for FY25.  

April is usually a strong month for work under MGNREGA as the major sowing season is over and agriculture activities are limited.