The urban-rural divide widened in 2005-06, according to the latest government data released on Thursday.
The monthly consumption expenditure gap between a person living in urban India and his rural counterpart was Rs 546 in 2005-06. In 2004-05, this stood at Rs 526.
In 2005-06, average monthly per capita consumption expenditure of an urban Indian was Rs 1,171, while it was Rs 625 for a rural Indian. In 2004-05, the corresponding figures were Rs 1,105 and Rs 579, respectively.
The data is from the National Sample Survey Organisation report, "Household Consumer Expenditure in India, 2005-06," based on the 62nd round data.
The total food consumption expenditure in rural India increased marginally in 2005-06 to 53.3 per cent of the total expenditure, up from 53.2 per cent in 2004-05, whereas it declined for an urban Indian to 40 per cent, as against 40.5 per cent the year before. Non-food expenditure increased in urban India and declined in rural India.
In 2005-06, nearly 19 per cent of Indian rural population had a monthly per capita consumption less than the rural average of Rs 365, spending less than Rs 12 per day on consumption.
During the same year, 22 per cent urban Indians belonged to households with monthly per capita consumption less than the urban average of Rs 580, spending about Rs 19 per day.
Kerala topped in terms of highest consumption expenditure for urban and rural India, averaging Rs 1,566 and Rs 1,056 per month, respectively.
In rural India, Chhattisgarh had the lowest consumption expenditure of Rs 429, whereas Bihar had the lowest consumption expenditure in urban India at Rs 684.