What is HCES?
- HCES = Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey
- Conducted periodically by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- It captures detailed data on household consumption patterns, income, and living standards across rural and urban India.
Source : The Indian Express
Relevance : GS 2(Governance , Social Issues)
What does the HCES 2023–24 show?
- Reports per capita daily calorie, fat, and protein intake.
- Provides insights into nutritional status, consumption inequality, and shifts in food habits.
- Compares data across different income deciles, helping track changes among the top 5% vs bottom 5%.
- First such release after over a decade (since 2011–12 round), delayed due to COVID-19 disruptions.
Key Findings from HCES 2023–24 (Nutritional Intake Data)
| Indicator | 2011–12 | 2022–23 | Change |
| Daily Calorie Intake (Rural) | 2,233 kcal | 2,212 kcal | ↓ 0.94% |
| Daily Calorie Intake (Urban) | 2,240 kcal | 2,230 kcal | ↓ 0.4% |
| Protein Intake (Rural) | 61.9 g | 61.8 g | ~Stable |
| Protein Intake (Urban) | 63.2 g | 63.4 g | ↑ Slight |
| Fat Intake (Rural) | 59.7 g | 60.4 g | ↑ 1.17% |
| Fat Intake (Urban) | 70.5 g | 69.8 g | ↓ 1.0% |
| Bottom 5% Calorie Intake (Rural) | 1,607 kcal | 1,688 kcal | ↑ 5% |
| Top 5% Calorie Intake (Rural) | 3,116 kcal | 2,941 kcal | ↓ 5.6% |
| Bottom 5% Calorie Intake (Urban) | 1,623 kcal | 1,696 kcal | ↑ 4.5% |
| Top 5% Calorie Intake (Urban) | 3,478 kcal | 3,092 kcal | ↓ 11% |
Insights & Relevance for UPSC
- Calorie Inequality Down: Significant narrowing between top 5% and bottom 5% across rural and urban areas.
- Slight Calorie Dip: Overall calorie intake down marginally but protein remains stable—indicating changing food preferences.
- Policy Relevance:
- Targets for schemes like POSHAN Abhiyaan, NFSA, Mid-Day Meal, and PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.
- Evidence for SDG-2 (“Zero Hunger”) progress.
- Health Implication: Drop in fat intake among richer groups suggests growing health awareness.
Additional Dimensions to Cover
1. Link to SDGs
- SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition.
- The narrowing gap supports Target 2.1 (access to food) and 2.2 (end all forms of malnutrition).
2. Inequality & Welfare Economics
- Reflects reduced nutritional inequality, possibly due to schemes like NFSA, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and PM-GKAY.
- Suggests improved welfare targeting of subsidies and rations.
3. Urban-Rural Nutrition Divide
- Urban nutrition is more stable; rural decline in calorie intake needs further analysis — is it due to underconsumption or dietary transition?
4. Food Security vs. Nutrition Security
- India is shifting from calorie sufficiency to nutritional adequacy.
- Calorie intake decline might mask hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiency).
5. Behavioural & Cultural Shifts
- Decline in fat intake and calorie-rich foods by the top 5% indicates rising health awareness, lifestyle diseases focus, and shift to balanced diets.
6. Role of Inflation and Food Prices
- Rising food prices (especially pulses, oils, proteins) may have reduced consumption among poor, even if calorie inequality narrowed.
7. Data Limitations
- HCES data may underreport consumption of processed foods or dining out.
- Calorie data doesn’t capture micronutrient adequacy or meal diversity.
8. Gender and Age-Based Access
- No disaggregated data provided — intra-household disparities (e.g., women, elderly, children) still a concern.
