The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) recently published its report

In recent findings, it has been revealed that the Gini coefficient has experienced significant changes in various states between the years 2011-12 and 2022-23. Notably, the Gini coefficient increased in rural areas of 11 states, including Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Moreover, states such as Nagaland, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, and Chhattisgarh have witnessed a rise in the Gini coefficient for consumption expenditure. Additionally, the Gini coefficient for consumption expenditure also rose in urban areas of Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur.

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Nationally, the Gini coefficient for rural areas declined from 0.283 in 2011-12 to 0.266 in 2022-23. For urban areas, it decreased from 0.363 to 0.314 during the same period. It's worth noting that a lower Gini coefficient signifies reduced spending inequality.

Furthermore, the Gini coefficient is an indicator of income or wealth inequality, derived from the Lorenz curve. It is measured by dividing the area between the perfect equality curve and the actual income distribution curve by the area under the perfect equality curve. The coefficient ranges from 0 (0%) to 1 (100%), with 0 representing perfect equality and 1 representing perfect inequality.