After a lapse of more than a decade, the much-awaited Household Consumption Expenditure survey (HCES) 2022–2023 data is now available. Data on annual household expenditures were first collected by the National Sample survey Organization (NSSO) during the first round (1950–1951) and the 28th round (1973–1974). On the other hand, it began gathering data for five years in a large-scale manner, and the findings of the reports were released starting with the 27th cycle (1972–73). As a result, beginning with the 1972–1973 cycle, HCES data became publicly available every five years.
 
The most recent data before this one was for the years 2011–12. In addition, it was intended to conduct two rounds of surveys in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, to determine the optimal time frame for revising the base year for macroeconomic indicators. However, these could not be carried out because of Covid-19. This poll could not have begun until august 2022, post-pandemic, and it continued until July 2023; the results were released to the public in february of this year.
 
Macroeconomic indicators may be determined and generated using the data from these surveys. In addition, it aids in our comprehension of the dynamics of shifting consumption patterns in both rural and urban regions as well as the state of the consumer price index (CPI) and inflation.

Then and Now
That being said, the data from this poll differs from that of the others. The many modifications to the approach are the main cause. First off, there are several differences between the items included in CES 2011–12 and those in the new questionnaire (HCES 2022-23). Some outdated things have been added to the list, while others have been deleted. Compared to the previous list, which had 347 items, the current list in the questionnaire has 405 items.

Second, the 2022–2023 HCES survey was planned to be done across three months as opposed to the previous surveys, which were completed in a single visit. Furthermore, the NSSO has started collecting data via the wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW'>digital app, something they did not do before. Third, HCES 2022–2023 takes into account the imputed cost of a few non-food goods (such as computers, bicycles, and laptops) that the families acquired under social assistance systems. This was not taken into account during the previous polls.
 
Finally, a substantial modification has been made to the sample plan. Two factors are used to divide households into three categories: having a car in an urban setting and having land in a rural one. The sample is skewed in favor of the wealthier segments of society in a nation where a small percentage of the enormous population owns a car and where agricultural field laborers do not possess cars. Therefore, it is not possible to consider the HCES 2022–2023 statistics to be an accurate representation (sample) of the nation's overall consumption pattern.
 
Key Findings
The monthly per-capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of rural families climbed from Rs 1,440 in the 2011–12 round to Rs 3,773 in HCES 2022–2023—a 162% rise. Comparably, over the same period, urban expenditure increased from Rs 2,630 to Rs 6,459, a 146% increase. Furthermore, from 83.9% in 2011–12 to 71.2% in 2022–2023, the MPCE difference between rural and urban regions has decreased. Moreover, food's share of the MPCE dropped from 46% in 2011–12 to 39% in 2022–2023 year. On the other hand, the proportion of non-food goods has gone up from 54% to 61%. It should be mentioned that both in rural and urban regions, the percentage of expenses related to food is decreasing.

Additionally, the data shows that over time, expenditure on rural consumption has grown dramatically. We found that in rural regions, the percentage of total spending on grain decreased from 10.7% in 2011–12 to 4.89% in 2022–2023 as compared to the preceding cycle. Similarly, the percentage of pulses and pulse products has decreased from 2.76 to 1.77 percent. On the other hand, the proportion of processed meals and drinks has gone up from 7.9% to 9.62%.
 
Analogous conclusions have also been drawn for metropolitan regions, where the share of processed foods and drinks rose from 8.98% in 2011–12 to 10.6% in 2022–2023. Surprisingly, the percentage of fruits and vegetables has dropped from 8.87% to 7.97% in rural regions and from 7.27% to 6.3% in urban areas. Both in urban and rural families, the percentage of processed foods has increased, resulting in a fall in the share of sugar and salt. This is most likely a result of the high salt and sugar content in processed meals and drinks.
 

 
 
 
For more interesting updates wa click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel

Find out more:

India

SIBY JEYYA

20/03/2024 10:35 AM