Assam records second-highest food spending share in India, among lowest in durables
A government survey reveals Assam spends highest despite declining trends, while spending on durables and motor vehicle ownership remain among the lowest.
Indigenous produce displayed in a weekly haat in Guwahati
Guwahati, Nov 23: Households in Assam continue to spend a significantly higher share of their monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) on food, even as overall food spending shows a declining trend over the past decade. This finding is according to a recent government study comparing the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24 with 2011-12 data.
In rural Assam, households spent 61.3 per cent of their MPCE on food in 2011-12, which is the highest in the country at the time, compared to the national average of 52.9 per cent.
While this figure has declined to 53.2 per cent in 2023-24, Assam still ranks second-highest in the country after Ladakh, indicating the continued economic pressure on household food budgets in the state.
A similar pattern persists in urban Assam, where 47.4 per cent of MPCE is spent on food in 2023-24, making it the fourth highest nationwide after Lakshadweep, Ladakh and Bihar.
Although urban households spend less on food compared to rural areas, the share in Assam remains well above the national urban average, reflecting the region’s relatively higher dependence on food expenditure.
The study noted that several northern, eastern and northeastern states continue to spend more than the national average on food, even as rural areas across India have witnessed reductions in food-related spending over time.
In 2011-12, nearly 15 states, many from the eastern and northeastern belt, exceeded the national average in food expenditure share, a trend that continues, though at reduced levels, in 2023-24.