“According to the paper, the share of total household expenditure on food has declined substantially in rural and urban areas across all states and UTs.

‘It is the first time in modern India (post-independence) that average household spending on food is less than half the overall monthly spending of households and is a marker of significant progress,’ it said.

The paper is a comprehensive analysis of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022/23 and comparison with 2011/12.

‘Overall, there has been a significant increase in households’ average monthly per capita expenditure across rural and urban India across all states and UTs,’ the paper said, adding that the magnitude of the rise is substantial but varies across states and regions.”

From Business Standard.