NSSO releases 2022-23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey data

It matters to citizens as it provides the latest government data on household consumption patterns, standard of living, and inequality metrics in India.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Government of India (Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, National Sample Survey Office), Indian households (rural and urban), and the general public relying on official consumption and poverty data.

What the document says

• The survey was conducted from August 2022 to July 2023 across the Indian Union, excluding a few inaccessible villages in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The survey covered 8,723 villages (1,55,014 rural households) and 6,115 urban blocks (1,06,732 urban households).
• Average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) for 2022-23 was reported as Rs. 3,773 for rural areas and Rs. 6,459 for urban areas at nominal prices.
• The Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, declined from 0.283 to 0.266 in the rural sector and from 0.363 to 0.314 in the urban sector compared to 2011-12.
• Per capita quantity consumption of cereals decreased from 11.35 kg in 2009-10 to 9.39 kg in 2022-23 for rural areas, and from 9.32 kg to 8.05 kg for urban areas.
• The report includes estimates with and without imputation of values, noting that imputation slightly increased the average MPCE figures (e.g., rural nominal MPCE rose from 3,773 to 3,860 with imputation).

Also in the document

• The survey was originally recommended for 2020-21 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The survey name was changed from 'Household Consumer Expenditure Survey' to 'Household Consumption Expenditure Survey' following a suggestion by the National Statistical Commission.
• The data is used for preparing weighting diagrams for Consumer Price Indices (CPIs) and deriving other macroeconomic indicators.