Nutritional intake in rural & urban India show similar pattern: NSO report

New Delhi, July 2 A similar pattern in the average per day per capita and per consumer unit calorie intake has been observed in rural and urban India in 2022-23 and 2023-24, as per the 'Nutritional Intake in India' report published by the National Statistics Office on Wednesday.

The average per capita per day calorie intake in rural India was 2,233 Kcal and 2,212 Kcal in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively, while the corresponding figures for the two years in urban India were 2,250 Kcal and 2,240 Kcal, respectively, according to the report.

The report is based on back-to-back Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) conducted during August 2022 – July 2023 and August 2023 – July 2024, and collects information on the consumption of food items by the members of the households during specified reference periods.

The report also shows an increase in average per capita per day and per consumer unit per day calorie intake is observed for the bottom five fractile classes in rural India and for the bottom six fractile classes in urban areas in 2023-24 from 2022-23.

According to the report, with an increase in the Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE), the average calorie intake also increases in rural as well as urban India.

A more or less similar pattern is observed in the daily per capita and per consumer unit intake of calories, protein, and fat in both rural and urban India during both periods.

In both the rural and urban sectors, the average calorie intake (per capita or per consumer unit) is seen to be improving with an increase in well-being as reflected in the MPCE.

The difference between the bottom fractile class (bottom 5 per cent of population ranked by per capita expenditure level) and the top fractile class (top 5 per cent of population ranked by per capita expenditure level) in per capita calorie intake as well as per consumer unit calorie intake has narrowed significantly in 2023-24 in rural as well as urban India, showing an a decrease in inequality.

A marginal increase in the per capita per day intake of calories is observed from the period 2009-10 to 2023-24 at the all-India level in rural and urban areas. A similar increasing trend in per capita per day intake of protein is also observed in rural and urban India since 2009-10.

Cereals continue to be the most important source of protein among the 5 food groups that also include pulses, milk & milk products, egg/fish/meat, with a share of about 46-47 per cent for rural India and about 39 per cent for urban India in both the periods, the report states.

The contribution of cereals to protein intake has fallen by about 14 per cent in rural India and nearly 12 per cent in urban India from the level of 2009-10. The fall in the share of cereals has been balanced by significant rises in the share of egg, fish & meat, other food and a marginal increase in the share of milk and milk products across rural and urban India, reflecting rising standards of living, the report further states.

However, a wide variation both in average per capita per day calorie intake and average per consumer unit per day calorie intake is observed among the major states in 2022-23 as well as in 2023-24, the report added.

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