Household food expenses mark sharpest fall in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Household expenditure on food has marked the sharpest decline in Odisha in the last decade.

As per the latest report of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the prime minister, Odisha witnessed a drop of 10.6 per cent in household expenditure on food between 2011-12 and 2022-23, which is the steepest among all states in the country.

The survey which analysed household consumption expenditure, focusing on what families eat and how this has changed in the last decade, found significant improvement in the food consumption pattern and micronutrient intake.

The expenditure on food declined from 61.4 per cent in 2011-12 to 50.8 per cent in 2022-23 in Odisha. It dropped from 58.6 per cent to 50.4 per cent in rural areas and 51.7 per cent to 43.5 per cent in urban areas, which the EAC said, is a good marker of progress.

The report also revealed increase in average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) in rural areas from Rs 1,003 in 2011-12 to Rs 2,950 in 2022-23, a growth of approximately 194 per cent. In urban areas, the average MPCE grew from Rs 1,941 in 2011-12 to Rs 5,194 in 2022-23, approximately 167 per cent.

The proportion of households consuming fresh fruits increased from 60.6 per cent to 85.1 per cent in rural areas and 75.9 per cent to 90.8 per cent in urban areas during the period. Similarly, consumption of eggs, fish and meat rose from 74.5 per cent to 88.2 per cent in rural Odisha and 79 per cent to 88 per cent in the urban areas.