Pandemic-induced income shocks and dietary diversity in India

The present study assesses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced income shocks on dietary diversity in India using eight waves of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy–Consumer Pyramids Household Surveys data over the period January 2019 to August 2021. Using a two-stage least squares panel regression model and a specification akin to difference-in-differences technique, our results suggest that an income shock of any magnitude reduced the dietary diversity of households across India, though the impact has been more severe in the rural areas compared to urban and during the first year of the pandemic compared to the second. The mediating role of household socio-economic characteristics, pandemic indicators and food prices is also examined.