Spending on paan, tobacco, intoxicants increased in last one decade: Govt survey

Consumption of paan, tobacco and other intoxicants has increased with people spending a bigger portion of their income on such products in the last 10 years, according to a survey.

The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-23, released last week, revealed that the expenditure on paan, tobacco and intoxicants as a portion of total household spending has increased in rural as well as urban areas.

The data showed that the expenditure on these items has increased to 3.79 per cent in 2022-23 in rural areas from 3.21 per cent in 2011-12.

Similarly, in urban areas, the spending grew from 1.61 per cent in 2011-12 to 2.43 per cent in 2022-23.

The proportion of spending on education has reduced to 5.78 per cent in urban areas in 2022-23 from 6.90 per cent in 2011-12.

In rural areas, this proportion has come down to 3.30 per cent in 2022-23 from 3.49 per cent in 2011-12.

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, conducted the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) from August 2022 to July 2023.

This survey on household consumption expenditure aims at measuring estimates of each household’s Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) and its distribution separately for the rural and urban sectors of the country, for states and Union Territories, and different socio-economic groups.

The survey also stated that spending on beverages and processed food has increased to 10.64 per cent in urban areas in 2022-23 from 8.98 per cent in 2011-12.

In rural areas, it increased from 7.90 per cent in 2011-12 to 9.62 per cent in 2022-23.