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A 2023 Update of Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status Classification Scale for the

Indian Population

Article in Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry · September 2023

DOI: 10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_173_23

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Tanushri M. Dalvi Shrivardhan Kalghatgi

Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University
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 Letter to Editor

A 2023 Update of Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status

Classification Scale for the Indian Population
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Socioeconomic status (SES) has various roles in health,
nutritional status, mortality, and even morbidity of the
population. SES also plays a vital role in dental health through
acceptability, accessibility, affordability, and utilization
nYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC1y0abggQZXdgGj2MwlZLeI= on 09/27/2023
populations. Kuppuswamy SES scale is dynamic and depends
upon the consumer price index (CPI). CPI is an index of the
variation in prices for retail goods and services that households
acquire for the purpose of consumption.[2] CPI numbers are

of available dental health services. SES helps identify the
hierarchical position of an individual in the social structure. It
often reveals not only the dental health status of the individual
but also helps in identifying their behavioral tendencies toward
the importance of dental health.[1]
One of the most widely used SES scales for classifying people
by SES is Kuppuswamy SES Scale for both urban and rural
widely used as an indicator of inflation. Labour Bureau,
Government of India, releases three CPI: CPI for Industrial
Workers (CPI‑IW) base 2001, CPI for Agricultural Laborers
base 1986–87, and CPI for Rural Laborers base 1984–85.
The most commonly used and the most appropriate CPI for
revision of socioeconomic classifications has been (CPI‑IW) as
it represents the expenditure of a normal working class family.

Table 1: Modified Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status Scale, 2023 (Consumer price index ‑ 132.8, February)
Score
Education of the head
Profession or honors 7
Graduate 6
Intermediate or diploma 5
High school certificate 4
Middle school certificate 3
Primary school certificate 2
Illiterate 1
Occupation of the head
Legislators, senior officials, and managers 10
Professionals 9
Technicians and associate professionals 8
Clerks 7
Skilled workers and shop and market sales workers 6
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers 5
Craft and related trade workers 4
Plant and machine operators and assemblers 3
Elementary occupation 2
Unemployed 1
Monthly family income in INR (1976) Updated monthly family income in Rs. (2023) Score
≥2000 ≥20,482 12
1000–1999 10,241–20,481 10
750–999 7681–10,240 6
500–749 5120–7680 4
300–499 3072–5119 3
101–299 1034–3071 2
≤100 ≤1033 1
Score Socioeconomic class
26–29 Upper class (I)
16–25 Upper middle class (II)
11–15 Lower middle class (III)
5–10 Upper lower class (IV)
<5 Lower (V)
CPI: Consumer price index

282 © 2023 Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
 Letter to Editor
Kuppuswamy’s Socioeconomic Scale is the most widely used
scale for urban population which was given in the year 1976 and
further modified by various authors.[3] Dynamic nature of inflation
may pose a risk to the validity of any published update on SES.
Updated Kuppuswamy SES scale for 2019 considering updated
occupational divisions and updated income scale is shown in
Table 1. The advantages and limitations of this scale have been
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previously discussed extensively by Lahariya.[4] Like the extent
of the utility of these scales, and even though being used by many
researchers in India although believed by few. Using this index
would probably give a more accurate picture of SES classification
nYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC1y0abggQZXdgGj2MwlZLeI= on 09/27/2023
for the entire urban population and for the country as a whole.
Kuppuswamy’s SES although being most widely used, there
are certain limitations to the same such as the validity, utility,
and relevance.[4] Furthermore, one of the previous studies
reported using such a scale majority of the families were
classified in upper socioeconomic strata.[5] At the same time,
no serious attempt has been done in India to restructure or
redevelop SES assessment tools from scratch and more like
convention such scales are still in use.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
Tanushri Dalvi, Shrivardhan Kalghatgi1
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be
University), Pune, 1Dental College and Hospital, Sangli, Maharashtra, India
Address for correspondence: Dr. Shrivardhan Kalghatgi,
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be
University), Dental College and Hospital, Sangli, Maharashtra, India.
E‑mail: drshriphd@gmail.com
Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry ¦ Volume 21 ¦ Issue 3 ¦ July‑September 2023
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References
1. Wani RT. Socioeconomic status scales‑modified Kuppuswamy and
Udai Pareekh’s scale updated for 2019. J Family Med Prim Care
2019;8:1846‑9.
2. Available from: https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_
release/CPI_PR_12apr23.pdf. [Last accessed on 2023 Apr 27].
3. Kuppuswamy B. Manual of Socioeconomic Status (Urban). 1st ed.
Delhi: Manasayan; 1981. p. 66‑72.
4. Lahariya C. ‘Flogging a dead horse’: Use of socio‑economic status
scales in health research in India. Indian J Pediatr 2017;84:1‑2.
5. Ramesh Masthi NR, Gangaboraiah, Kulkarni P. An exploratory study
on socio economic status scales in a rural and urban setting. J Family
Med Prim Care 2013;2:69‑73.
Received: 26‑07‑2023 Accepted: 04‑08‑2023 Published: 27-09-2023
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DOI:
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How to cite this article: Dalvi T, Kalghatgi S. A 2023 update of
Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status classification Scale for the Indian
population. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2023;21:282-3.
© 2023 Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
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