How has inflation from 2010 to 2024 differentially impacted the purchasing power of essential goods and services among lower-income rural versus urban households in India?

Megh Vinayak Dasgupta; Merilyn Sunny

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i03.47481

How has inflation from 2010 to 2024 differentially impacted the purchasing power of essential goods and services among lower-income rural versus urban households in India?

Author(s)	Mr. Megh Vinayak Dasgupta, Ms. Merilyn Sunny
Country	India
Abstract	This study investigates how inflation between 2010 and 2024 differentially impacted the purchasing power of lower-income rural and urban households in India, focusing on essential goods and services such as food, housing, healthcare, and fuel. Using a purely secondary data-based approach, the research analysed trends from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, NSSO Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys, RBI inflation reports, and government policy documents. The findings revealed that rural households faced persistent and volatile food inflation, significantly affecting nutritional adequacy and basic consumption, while urban households were more vulnerable to rising housing and transport costs, leading to declining real disposable incomes. Despite various government interventions like the Public Distribution System (PDS), MGNREGA, and LPG subsidies, the protection offered against inflationary pressures remained limited and uneven. The study highlights the regressive nature of inflation, the inadequacy of national inflation indices in capturing lived realities, and the urgent need for region-specific, income-sensitive policy responses. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of inflation’s role in deepening economic inequality and offer guidance for more targeted and inflation-indexed welfare interventions.
Keywords	Inflation, Purchasing Power, Rural-Urban Disparity, CPI, India, Lower-Income Households, Food Security, Housing Costs, Secondary Data Analysis
Field	Sociology > Economics
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 3, May-June 2025
Published On	2025-06-09
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i03.47481
Short DOI	https://doi.org/g9pzz8

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How has inflation from 2010 to 2024 differentially impacted the purchasing power of essential goods and services among lower-income rural versus urban households in India?

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