Selected figures, with their definitions
| Measure | Value | Reference period |
|---|---|---|
| Average rural MPCE, excluding specified free-welfare imputationsINR per person per month, current prices | 4,122 | August 2023–July 2024 Official source |
| Average urban MPCE, excluding specified free-welfare imputationsINR per person per month, current prices | 6,996 | August 2023–July 2024 Official source |
A consumption mean, not an income figure or pure cash expenditure.
A consumption mean, not an income figure or pure cash expenditure.
Start with expenditure, not an income claim
The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey measures household consumption of goods and services. Monthly per capita consumption expenditure, or MPCE, expresses that consumption per person per month. It is not salary, household income, disposable income or savings. The mean also does not show what a typical individual spends or how evenly spending is distributed.
Keep the period and valuation method visible
HCES 2023–24 covers August 2023 to July 2024. The selected rural and urban averages are at current prices for that period. The survey publishes versions excluding or including imputed values for specified free welfare items. Even the version excluding those additional imputations includes ordinary valuation of home-produced goods and certain receipts in kind; it is not a pure cash-spending measure.
Choose the same valuation series for every comparison. If you compare older rounds, check survey methods and recall periods as well as prices. A current-price increase cannot by itself establish an equivalent increase in the quantity of goods and services consumed.
Build the market from the relevant category
A useful market scenario starts with a defined place and eligible people, households or establishments. Add evidence for the relevant spending category, service coverage and likely participation. Show assumptions separately from published data. HCES expenditure classes and category patterns can inform this work more usefully than assigning the national average to every customer.
Keep the scenario within its limits
Multiplying population by MPCE may describe an assumed broad consumption total under stated conditions. It does not automatically estimate sales available to one product or business. People may buy outside the area, household purchases may be shared, and the catchment may include visitors. Present a range when these inputs are uncertain, and identify the local evidence needed to narrow it.