The important findings of the survey conducted at Kolkata centre are given below:

1. The total number of working class families covered during the survey was 3024.
2. The estimated total number of working class families as defined for the purpose of the survey was about 2.45 lakhs.
3. The estimated total number of employees in these families was about 2.89 lakhs.
4. The average monthly income per employee from paid employment worked out to Rs. 4229.09.
5. Manufacture of refined petroleum products industry dominated in terms of employment.
6. About 65 per cent of the total employees were employed on a regular basis, 32 per cent were on casual basis and the remaining 3 per cent on contractual basis.
7. The average size of a working class family worked out to be 4.18 persons of which 1.06 were earners, 0.24 earning dependants and 2.88 non-earning dependants consisting of 1.77 men, 1.37 women and 1.04 children.
8. The estimated total number of family members was 10.23 lakhs. Out of which, 54.84 per cent were males. Of the total family members, 46.66 per cent were married, 5.27 per cent were widowed, divorced or separated and the remaining 48.07 per cent were un-married.
9. The dependency ratio was 420/1000.
10. Around 14 percent of the family members (5 years of age and above) were illiterate and more than 4 per cent were graduate and above.
11. Around 30 per cent of the family members (5 years of age and above) were employees and about 62 per cent were not in labour force.
12. Of all the families, 95.33 per cent of the families had one earner, 4.17 per cent had two earners while the remaining 0.50 per cent had three or more earners.
13. The average monthly income per family worked out to be Rs. 5552.57 and the per capita income as Rs. 1329.65.
14. As much as 90.08 per cent of the total average monthly income came from paid employment.
15. Within the paid employment, basic wages and allowances contributed more than 81 per cent of the total income.
16. The average expenditure per family worked out to be Rs. 4324.49. Out of which, Rs. 3829.46 was on consumption expenditure and Rs. 495.03 was on non-consumption expenditure.
17. Within consumption expenditure, the share of food items was 49.48 per cent.
18. Around 76 per cent of the families had spent less than 45 percent of their total expenditure on food.
19. Only 20.93 per cent of the families reported expenditure on savings and investments.
20. There was a significant decrease in the percentage of families reporting expenditure on pan, supari, and tobacco & tobacco products and slightly increase in alcoholic beverages as compared to 1981-82 survey.
21. The percentage of families reporting expenditure on education & reading, household services and transport & communication during 1999-2000 increased substantially as compared to 1981-82 survey with the maximum jump on education & reading.
22. The average monthly quantity of Cereals and Cereal Products consumed per family worked out to be 45.66 Kgs, of which major share was accounted for by rice (29.19 Kgs) and wheat atta (12.49 Kgs). The per capita monthly consumption of Cereals and Cereal Products was 10.92 Kgs.
23. The average monthly consumption on vegetables & vegetable products, meat, fish and eggs were 33.13 kgs, 4.79 kgs and 1.23 dozens respectively have much higher than 26.22 kgs, 2.84 kgs and 0.57 dozens in 1981-82 survey.
24. About 90 per cent of families recorded an average surplus income of Rs. 1228.08 over family expenditure.
25. The incidence of indebtedness worked out to be 55.89 per cent during 1999-2000 as compared to 48.06 per cent in 1981-82 survey.
26. Maximum proportion of families (i.e. 26.52 per cent) was in the loan amount class of Rs. 10000 to less than Rs. 20000.
27. The average amount of outstanding debt per indebted family worked out to be Rs. 9275.54.
28. Provident fund was the main source of loans.
29. Despite a sharp increase in the interest rates charged by moneylenders the proportion of families availing loans from them declined to 5.12 per cent as compared to 8.36 per cent in 1981-82 survey
30. Only 22.78 per cent of the families were residing in chawl- bustees; and 15.15 per cent were using flats as their residence and 50.74 percent had independent houses.
31. Of all the families, 82.48 per cent had made their own arrangements for accommodation, 14.93 per cent were provided dwellings by the employers and the remaining 2.59 per cent were residing in the dwellings provided by friends and relatives etc.
32. The percentage of families enjoying basic amenities like kitchen, bathroom, latrine and electricity was 51.11 per cent, 68.11 per cent, 96.17 per cent and 86.48 per cent respectively.

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 NOTE :     Detailed  report is available with Controller of Publications, Civil Line, New Delhi.