In the burgeoning metropolis of New Delhi, the monthly per capita consumer expenditures within households have undergone a remarkable transformation, more than doubling over the past decade. This revelation emanates from the latest investigative endeavor by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for the fiscal period 2022-23, juxtaposed against the benchmark of 2011-12, as articulated in an official communique. The NSSO, operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), meticulously executed the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) during the temporal span from August 2022 to July 2023.
This comprehensive survey on household consumption expenditure is designed with the laudable objective of eliciting estimates concerning Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE), dissected demographically into the rural and urban tapestry of the nation. Furthermore, it aims to delineate these statistics for the various States and Union Territories, unraveling the economic intricacies within different socio-economic strata.
Per the findings of this discerning survey, the mean monthly per capita consumption expenditure in the annus horribilis 2022-23 is recorded at Rs. 3,773 in the rustic expanses of India and escalates to Rs. 6,459 within the urban sprawl. The economic gradient reveals that the lower echelon of India’s rural populace, occupying the bottom 5% based on MPCE, exhibits an average MPCE of Rs. 1,373, whereas their urban counterparts register a slightly higher figure of Rs. 2,001. In stark contrast, the upper crust of the economic stratum, constituting the top 5% in rural and urban demographics, boasts an average MPCE of Rs. 10,501 and Rs. 20,824, respectively.
Delving into regional nuances, Sikkim emerges as the pacesetter with the highest MPCE in both rural and urban landscapes, while Chhattisgarh finds itself at the opposite end of the spectrum. Noteworthy is the substantial rural-urban disjunction in average MPCE, with Meghalaya topping the charts at 83%, closely trailed by Chhattisgarh at 82%. Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh claims the zenith for MPCE, whereas Ladakh and Lakshadweep languish at the nadir.
These estimations of MPCE draw sustenance from a vast reservoir of data meticulously collected from 2,61,746 households, artfully distributed across the national panorama, encompassing 1,55,014 in rural enclaves and 1,06,732 in the urban milieu, as elucidated in the official release.