Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2023-24

The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2023-24 is a detailed official survey carried out by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) through the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) to gather the detailed information on the expenditure of the Indian households on goods and services during the period of August 2023 through July 2024. It evaluates the Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) of the rural and urban regions, the consumption behavior, and the changes in the living standards, inequality, poverty, and welfare. The information is also useful in revising the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket and policy-making on socio-economic planning and inflation measures.

Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2023–24: Scope and Significance 

• The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 202324 is a survey that is nationally representative in rural and urban regions of all the States and Union Territories of India.

• The National Survey Sample Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, does it.

• The survey contains the household consumption data as follows: in August 2023 to July 2024, this guarantees the presence of seasonal representatives.

• It records specific data on domestic spending of food products, non-food merchandise and services, such as education, health, housing, and fuel.

• The survey gives an estimate of Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE), which is a vital measure of the living standards.

• It allows one to compare rural and urban household consumption patterns and differences in consumption.

• The survey is a starting point of the estimation of poverty, examination of welfare, and development of policies regarding the social sector.

• It is applied in the updating of the consumption basket and weights of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

• The statistics aid in the evaluation of the inequality concerning consumption in the regions, income classes, and social classes.

• It encourages planning on evidence basis, limited subsidies and assessment of government schemes.

• The questionnaire will enable the researcher to compare the responses with the earlier HCES rounds to establish how the consumption behavior has changed over time.

• It is based on a strong sampling pattern and a standardized approach to achieve accuracy and credibility of estimates.

Conclusion

The survey of Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2023 24 offers crucial information on the spending behavior, living standard, and consumption divergence of the Indian households. Its statistics assist policy-makers, poverty, and economic planning, as well as the CPI revision and social welfare initiatives, and it is one of the most important instruments to understand and improve the socio-economic situation throughout the country.