Is India Eating Better? New Nutrition Data Reveals Mixed Trends
TL;DR:
India’s nutrition intake shows uneven progress. While calorie and fat consumption have risen, protein intake among poorer rural households (lower fractile classes) has dropped significantly. Urban areas show more consistent improvement. Overall, food’s share in household expenditure is shrinking.
Context: Nutrition is fundamental to health, but access to adequate calories, protein, and fat remains varied in India. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)’s recently published report titled “Nutrition intake in India”, based on the ‘Household Consumption and Expenditure (HCE)’ on food and its items in 2022-23 (survey period: August, 2022 to July, 2023) and 2023-24 (survey period: August, 2023 to July, 2024) survey sheds light on long-term changes in what people eat across income groups and geographies.
Who releases the data?
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Published in: “Nutrition Intake in India” report, based on the Household Consumption and Expenditure (HCE) surveys for 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Where can I download Clean & Structured Data?
Access comprehensive data on Nutritional intake in India on Dataful.
Key Insights
Comparison of the data from the past HCE surveys dating back to 1993-94 reveals that
- Calorie and fat intake have marginally increased across most categories.
- Protein intake has declined drastically among the poorest rural households (fractile class 1)
- Urban nutrition intake is rising more steadily across income classes.
- Food is becoming a smaller share of total household spending.
Why does it matter?
Nutrition directly impacts public health, productivity, and child development. The declining protein intake among the poorest rural households suggests worsening inequality in food access, even as overall calorie and fat consumption rise.
Key Numbers
- Rural calorie intake (1993–94 to 2023–24):
2,153 → 2,212 kcal - Rural protein intake (Fractile Class 1) (1993–94 to 2023–24):
73.5g → 44.3g (sharp drop) - Urban fat intake (1993–94 to 2023–24):
42g → 62g - Food as a % of household expenditure (1993–94 to 2023–24):
Rural: 59% → 49.3%
Urban: 48% → 41%