Now Reading: Home ownership top priority for 31% of lower-middle-class Indians: Survey
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Home ownership top priority for 31% of lower-middle-class Indians: Survey
Home ownership top priority for 31% of lower-middle-class Indians: Survey
Buying a home has become the biggest five-year financial goal for 31% of lower-middle-class Indians, according to Home Credit India's fourth edition of 'The Great Indian Wallet 2026' survey released on Tuesday.…
Buying a home has become the biggest five-year financial goal for 31% of lower-middle-class Indians, according to Home Credit India's fourth edition of 'The Great Indian Wallet 2026' survey released on Tuesday. This marks an increase of 8 percentage points from last year, making home ownership the fastest-growing financial goal tracked by the study.
The survey found that 40% of women respondents prioritised home ownership, compared with 29% of men. It also recorded a rise in financial confidence, with the company's Financial Well-Being Index reaching 40 in 2026 from 34 in 2025, driven by stronger savings and investment scores.
About 85% of respondents said they were confident of meeting their financial goals over the next five years. The average respondent reported a monthly income of Rs 35,000 and essential expenses of around Rs 21,000. Starting or expanding a business was the second-most cited goal at 25%, followed by saving for children's education at 14%.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The shift toward home ownership among lower-middle-class households signals a broader reallocation of discretionary spending into long-term assets, a pattern typically associated with rising income stability but also with caution about future inflation in property prices. The gender gap of 11 percentage points in home-buying aspirations may reflect women's preference for housing as a secure asset class, a trend seen in other emerging economies where women-led households show higher savings rates. The next edition of the survey, due in 2026, will show whether this preference sustains if interest rates or property prices change.
Home Credit India's Financial Well-Being Index, first published in 2023, measures savings, investment, and spending confidence among urban and semi-urban consumers.
Source: livemint.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
