The Household Consumption Expenditure survey (HCES) for 2022-23 also showed that in urban India, the share varies from 3% in Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu to 6% in Bihar and Jharkhand.
There has been a gradual decline in per capita quantity consumption of cereals in rural as well as urban areas in the country between 1999-2000 to 2022-23 as greater prosperity has prompted people to shift to proteins, processed food and other items.
For instance, the central govt data shows the monthly per capita cereal consumption was the highest in West Bengal at 11.2%, followed by Bihar at 11.1%. Kerala had lowest at 6.6%.
When it comes to percentage share of rice in total consumption of cereals, Assam was at 95.9%, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh at 92.2%, Telangana at 92.1% and Odisha at 90.7%. The lowest was in Rajasthan at 3.2% and Haryana at 9.8% and Punjab at 11.6%. “As incomes go up, cereal consumption goes down and more of proteins milk, meat and eggs and fruits and vegetables are consumed,” said Ashok Gulati, Infosys chair professor of agriculture at economic think tank ICRIER, highlighting the steady rise in incomes over the years which has helped income inequality to dip across the country.
For wheat the highest consumption was Haryana at 88.6%, Punjab 87.5% and Rajasthan at 84.8%. The lowest was in Assam at 4%, followed by Telangana at 5%, Tamil Nadu at 7.2%, Chhattisgarh at 7.8% and Odisha at 8.4%. Karnataka had the highest share in coarse grains at 19.4%, followed by Gujarat at 16.7% and Maharashtra at 12.3%. The share of West Bengal was nil, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Kerala at 0.1%, Punjab at 0.6%.
The survey results showed that the share of food in total consumption expenditure of rural households varies from 39% in Kerala to 54% in Bihar and Assam.
For the urban sector, the share of food in consumption expenditure varies from 35% in Telangana to 47 % in Assam and Bihar.
The monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) is defined as: total household monthly consumption expenditure divided by the household size. This measure serves as an indicator of the household’s level of living.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has been conducting household surveys across the country on consumption expenditure at regular intervals as part of its rounds, normally of one-year duration.
Information in the survey was collected from 8,723 villages and 6,115 urban blocks spread over the entire country covering 2,61,746 households (1,55,014 in rural areas and 1,06,732 in urban areas) and it is useful for understanding the consumption pattern, standard of living and hence, well-being of the households.