Study: India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has positive impact on participants’ welfare
- From
-
Published on
06.05.19
- Impact Area
-
Funders
The World Bank

India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is one of the largest public works programs globally. The new study analyses impact of NREGS on key welfare measures of its beneficiaries – consumption expenditure, nutritional intake, and asset accumulation.
With a budget of US$7.47 billion in 2017–18, India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is one of the largest programs of its kind globally. The program guarantees employment for up to 100 days per year for each rural household with wages equal for men and women. Thus, it not only serves as a form of employment insurance but also has the potential to enhance female empowerment. To ensure transparency, NREGS makes all work-related data available on the Internet, deposits payments directly into beneficiaries’ accounts, and conducts regular social audits.
In their new paper, Klaus Deininger (The World Bank) and Yanyan Liu (IFPRI) undertake an empirical analysis of the program’s impact on participants’ welfare, finding that – after one-year exposure – it improves participants’ nutrition and – after two years – their ability to accumulate nonfinancial assets. The study also shows that poor and marginalized households benefit the most from NREGS.
Related news
-
Unlocking aquaculture’s potential: Northern Ghana stakeholders co-design sustainable fish farming models
Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Science Program28.07.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
-
Nutrition, health & food security
-
Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
Group photo of workshop participants (photo credit: IWMI). With marine fish stocks declining …
Read more -
-
Niger State Partners with AfricaRice for Transformative Rice Production Growth: Targeting 10 Million Tons by 2030
AfricaRice28.07.25-
Food security
-
Nutrition, health & food security
-
Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
July 22, 2025, Mbé, Côte d'Ivoire – In a landmark visit that signals a new era…
Read more -
-
ILRI partnership with private sector turns young woman’s pastime into a thriving poultry agribusiness in Tanzania
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)15.07.25-
Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
In Tanzania, like in many African countries, many women keep poultry as a means of…
Read more -