Assam ranks 2nd in rural food expenditure share, 4th in urban: HCES data

Guwahati: Assam continues to remain among the states where families spend the largest share of their household budget on food, even though this proportion has slowly decreased over the past decade.

The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023–24 shows clear shifts in spending habits when compared with the 2011–12 data.

The survey reports that rural households in Assam had spent 61.3% of their Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) on food in 2011–12—the highest in the country at that time, much above the national rural average of 52.9%.

By 2023–24, the share dropped to 53.2%, yet Assam still holds the second-highest position after Ladakh. This indicates that food continues to take up a dominant portion of rural spending.

Urban families in Assam show a similar pattern. In 2023–24, they allocated 47.4% of their MPCE to food items, ranking the state fourth nationally after Lakshadweep, Ladakh, and Bihar.

The figure remains significantly higher than the national urban average, signalling structural constraints that keep food expenditure comparatively high in the state.

The survey further highlights a consistent trend across northern, eastern, and northeastern states, many of which have historically spent a larger share of household budgets on food.

While the proportion has reduced since 2011–12, the overall regional pattern continues.

In contrast, Assam records some of the lowest spending on durable goods such as furniture, appliances, and long-term household items.

Economists say this gap between essential and non-essential spending underscores a financial reality: Assam’s households still devote most of their income to basic needs, leaving limited scope for investment in durable or discretionary goods.

They added that although a fall in the food expenditure share generally points to rising incomes, Assam’s continued place among the top spenders shows that essential consumption still dominates family budgets.