Ahmedabad: Compared to the average monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) for rural Gujarat at Rs 4,116, those in urban areas spent Rs 7,175, or about 74% higher, indicated the 2023-24 round of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI). Across India, the difference was slightly lower at 70%, according to the survey.
Apart from about a 5.6 percentage point higher share of spending on food items in rural areas, some of the major differences in spending patterns came from rent (4.5 percentage points) and education (4.3 percentage points), where the urban population spent more. The urban population also spent more on conveyance and entertainment. On the other hand, the rural population had a higher percentage share for durable goods, clothing, medical expenses, and paan/tobacco.
The average MPCE for self-employed individuals in agriculture in rural areas was Rs 4,207, compared to Rs 4,589 for salaried persons. In urban areas, the average MPCE for self-employed persons was Rs 7,337 compared to Rs 7,296 for regular wage or salary-earning persons.
The average MPCE in the 10th and 100th percentiles in urban areas was Rs 3,995 and Rs 11,187 respectively, whereas the values were Rs 2,478 and Rs 6,155, according to the survey.