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What is HCES?

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 AbhiyaanNFSAMid-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 NFSAPOSHAN 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.

October 2025
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