India’s spending basket shifts beyond essentials as households embrace diverse diets: Report New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Indian households are gradually moving beyond spending primarily on food essentials, with non-food items and services now accounting for nearly two-thirds of total household consumption expenditure, a report said on Friday. The research report by the State Bank of India’s Economic Research Department based on the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24 found that food expenditure constitutes about 32.82 per cent of total household consumption spending, while non-food goods and services together account for around 67 per cent. This trend reflects a steady diversification in household consumption patterns as rising incomes and changing lifestyles influence spending behaviour. Drawing on household-level data from the National Statistics Office’s HCES conducted between August 2023 and July 2024, the study analysed 261,953 households across rural and urban India. The survey provides detailed information on consumption expenditure, demographic characteristics, education, employment, housing conditions, assets, and digital purchasing behaviour, the report noted. The research highlights significant variations in dietary patterns across states, particularly in the consumption of protein-rich food items. Sikkim and Goa recorded the highest average expenditure on selected protein-rich foods, followed by Haryana, while Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal reported the lowest expenditure levels. The disparity reflects differences in purchasing power, food prices and local dietary preferences. The study also pointed to notable gender-based differences in dietary diversity related to protein-rich foods. Male-coded observations showed higher prevalence of diverse protein consumption than female-coded observations in most states, with particularly large gaps observed in Telangana, Odisha, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan recorded the lowest percentages for both groups, while the gender gap remained relatively narrow in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. At a more granular level, households displayed substantial differences in how food budgets are allocated across categories such as cereals, pulses and milk products. However, expenditure patterns for eggs, fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and dry fruits showed lower variation across income groups. According to the report, this suggests that households across income levels are increasingly prioritising protein-rich diets and healthier food choices, indicating greater awareness of nutritional consumption. The report further noted that spending on packaged and processed foods has become increasingly similar among higher expenditure groups, signalling the growing acceptance of convenience-based consumption alongside healthier dietary preferences.

Rahnuma:India’s spending basket shifts beyond essentials as households embrace diverse diets: Report New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Indian households are gradually moving beyond spending primarily on food essentials, with non-food items and services now accounting for nearly two-thirds of total household consumption expenditure, a report said on Friday. The research report by the State Bank of India’s Economic Research Department based on the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24 found that food expenditure constitutes about 32.82 per cent of total household consumption spending, while non-food goods and services together account for around 67 per cent.

This trend reflects a steady diversification in household consumption patterns as rising incomes and changing lifestyles influence spending behaviour. Drawing on household-level data from the National Statistics Office’s HCES conducted between August 2023 and July 2024, the study analysed 261,953 households across rural and urban India. The survey provides detailed information on consumption expenditure, demographic characteristics, education, employment, housing conditions, assets, and digital purchasing behaviour, the report noted. The research highlights significant variations in dietary patterns across states, particularly in the consumption of protein-rich food items.

Sikkim and Goa recorded the highest average expenditure on selected protein-rich foods, followed by Haryana, while Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal reported the lowest expenditure levels. The disparity reflects differences in purchasing power, food prices and local dietary preferences. The study also pointed to notable gender-based differences in dietary diversity related to protein-rich foods. Male-coded observations showed higher prevalence of diverse protein consumption than female-coded observations in most states, with particularly large gaps observed in Telangana, Odisha, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan recorded the lowest percentages for both groups, while the gender gap remained relatively narrow in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

At a more granular level, households displayed substantial differences in how food budgets are allocated across categories such as cereals, pulses and milk products. However, expenditure patterns for eggs, fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and dry fruits showed lower variation across income groups. According to the report, this suggests that households across income levels are increasingly prioritising protein-rich diets and healthier food choices, indicating greater awareness of nutritional consumption. The report further noted that spending on packaged and processed foods has become increasingly similar among higher expenditure groups, signalling the growing acceptance of convenience-based consumption alongside healthier dietary preferences. –IANS pk