Rural Indians, share of cereal in total monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) has fallen to 4.89 per cent in 2022-23 as compared to 10.69 per cent in 2011-2012 & share of cereal substitutes has gone down to 0.02 per cent from 0.06 per cent during the same period.
Mumbai: According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the share of food in the average monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) went down to 46.4% in 2022-23 for rural India, from 52.9% in 2011-12, 53.1% in 2004-05, and 59.4% in 1999-2000.
At the same time rural Indians, share of cereal in total monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) has fallen to 4.89 per cent in 2022-23 as compared to 10.69 per cent in 2011-2012 & share of cereal substitutes has gone down to 0.02 per cent from 0.06 per cent during the same period.
The spending on vegetables has also reduced to 5.38 per cent from 6.62 per cent. The share of most of these categories in total spending was already reducing since 2000 but for the first time that spending on beverages & processed food has crossed that of cereals.
The share of this category has gone up to 9.62 per cent from 7.90 per cent in 2011-12. This is despite the total food spending as a percentage of total spending in rural India falling from 52.9 per cent in 2011-12 to 46.38 per cent in 2022-23, states Business Standard.
Surprisingly other categories which saw higher spending percentages in rural India were dry fruits (1.17 per cent), egg, fish & meat (4.91 per cent), fruits (2.54 per cent) and milk & milk products (8.33 per cent).
Even urban Indias have been spending more on processed food than that on cereals since 2011-12. However the gap between the rural and urban has widened in this survey on expenditure.
In 2011-12, urban Indians spent 6.61 per cent of their total monthly expenditure on cereals and 8.98 per cent on beverages & processed foods. However in 2022-23, the percentage spending on cereals has nearly reduced to 3.62 per cent and that on beverages & processed food has gone up to 10.64 per cent.