The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation survey, released on June 7, revealed that in the fiscal year 2022-23, rural India allocated a mere 6.2 percent of its expenditure on non-food items, the lowest compared to the 9.5 percent spent by urban India.
The survey, titled “Household Consumption Expenditure: 2022-23,” highlighted that apart from education, rural India allocated more funds towards clothing and footwear, durable goods, fuel and power, medical care, and entertainment compared to urban India during the same period.
In specific categories, rural India allocated 11.4 percent of its non-food expenditure to clothing and footwear, while urban India allocated 8.9 percent. For durable goods, rural spending stood at 12.9 percent, slightly higher than urban spending at 11.8 percent. Similarly, rural allocation for fuel and power was 12.4 percent, surpassing urban allocation at 10.3 percent. Medical care received 13.3 percent of rural non-food expenditure compared to 9.7 percent in urban areas. Even in entertainment, rural spending was 11.6 percent, whereas urban spending was 10.8 percent.
Conveyance expenses were consistent between rural and urban sectors, with both spending 14.1 percent of their non-food expenditure in 2022-23, as per the survey findings.
State-wise analysis revealed that states like Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, and Assam had the lowest expenditure on education in rural areas, with Chhatisgarh spending only 2.8 percent, followed by Assam with 3.9 percent and Gujarat with 3.8 percent of their non-food expenditure.
Regarding medical expenses, rural areas in Assam and Chhatisgarh were at the bottom, allocating 8.3 percent and 9.7 percent of their non-food expenditure, respectively.
In contrast, rural areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu led in conveyance expenditure, allocating 18.9 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
In urban India, the lowest expenditure was on clothing, bedding, and footwear, with states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana spending the least. Conversely, urban areas allocated the most to conveyance, followed by durable goods, with states like Kerala, Odisha, and Rajasthan leading in this expenditure category.
