NSS survey shows stark contrast in rural, urban consumption

New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) An official all-India survey released here today brings out the stark contrast in the consumption patterns between 'Bharat' and 'India', and cites the fact that 32 per cent households in urban areas use referigerators as compared to a low four per cent in rural areas.

Similarly, 66 per cent of urban household use television sets as compared to a mere 26 per cent of rural households.

The survey, titled 'Household Consumption of Various Goods and Services in India 2004-05', was released by the Central Statistical Organistion based on the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data between July 2004 and June 2005.

Like all regular NSS surveys, the present survey covers practically, the whole of Indian union.

The Engels curve find its bearing in the Indian condition and a rising income stream shows that the percentage of households in both rural and urban areas has risen by seven percentage points.

Medicines continue to take away a major slice of the households incomes in both rural and urban areas. They form 63-64 per cent of total medical expenditure in rural India and 56-57 per cent in urban India in both the terminal and final year of the survey.

The share in eduational expenditure of 'tuition and other fees', its major components is also on the rise. This share rose in urban India from 45 per cent to 57 per cent, and from 29 per cent in rural India, reached a level of 44 per cent, in both the terminal and final year of the survey, the data shows.

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