Data | Rural inflation peaks across States, except in Tamil Nadu and Kerala
The Hindu
The high prices of food and beverages was one of the primary drivers of rural inflation and within it, the prices of vegetables, oils and fats, and meat and fish increased the most
In April 2022, rural inflation accelerated to double digits in at least four big States — West Bengal, Telangana, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh — and was between 9% and 10% in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. It was less than 6% in only four States/UTs — Kerala, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The high prices of food and beverages was one of the primary drivers of rural inflation. Rural food inflation accelerated to over 11% in Telangana and Haryana and between 10% and 11% in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Food inflation was the lowest in Kerala and Tamil Nadu: below 5%. Within rural food inflation, the prices of vegetables, oils and fats, and meat and fish increased the most. In Haryana, rural vegetable inflation accelerated to 25% in April 2022. In Telangana, meat and fish inflation accelerated to 20.8%.
The chart lists the overall rural inflation across select States in April across various years. Statewise data were not available in April 2020 and April 2021 owing to the pandemic. The deeper the brown, the higher the rural inflation. Hover over the chart to find the exact figure
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The chart lists the rural inflation in April 2022 for food & beverages and select categories under the term, across major States. The deeper the brown, the higher the rural inflation in April 2022. Hover over the chart to find the exact figure
Source: MOSPI
Also read: Explained | What’s fuelling higher inflation in rural India?

The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by MoS&PI reveals a transformative shift in India’s economic landscape. For the first time in over a decade, granular data on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) highlights a significant decline in the proportional share of food spending—a classic validation of Engel’s Law as real incomes rise. Between 1999 and 2024, both rural and urban consumption pivoted away from staple-heavy diets toward protein-rich foods, health, education, and conveyance. As Indian households move beyond subsistence, these shifting Indian household spending patterns offer vital insights for social sector policy, poverty estimation, and the lived realities of an expanding middle-income population.












