Inter-temporal and Spatial Changes in Nutritional Insecurity in India

Abstract

Using household-level data from consumer expenditure surveys, this paper examines the dynamics of nutritional insecurity, for both rural and urban populations at all-India level and across states. In 1993-94, about 61 per cent of the rural and 54 per cent of the urban population was calorie deficient. In 2011-12, the prevalence of calorie deficient rural population increased by 5.2 percentage points, and urban population by about 1.5 percentage points. Across income classes, we observe incidence of calorie deficiency declining with an increase in income, but it also exists even among the rich households. Comparatively, the prevalence of protein deficiency is less severe. The spatial patterns of nutritional insecurity show a higher prevalence of calorie deficiency in states with lower incidence of poverty. Further, we find little, if any, evidence of a change in regional patterns of inequality in nutritional insecurity in the past two decades.