February 13: The Nepal Living Standards Survey has shown that yearly spatially and temporally adjusted per capita consumption expenditures have surged by 66 percent, rising from Rs 75,902 to Rs 126,172 in real terms between 2011 and 2023.

Over the same period, the proportion of non-food spending has escalated from an average of 38 percent to 47 percent. Moreover, the distribution of food expenditures has undergone a transformation since the previous NLSS, shifting away from cereals, which provide relatively inexpensive calories, towards more nutritious diets characterized by a greater allocation of spending on fruits, nuts, and meats, albeit these being more costly calorie sources.

When it comes to nominal household consumption expenditure, Kathmandu Valley leads with an annual average of Rs 263,318. Following closely, urban areas of Gandaki Province records the second highest expenditure at Rs 176,542 per year, representing 67 percent of that in Kathmandu Valley.

Conversely, the lowest average annual nominal per capita expenditures are observed in rural areas of Madhesh and Sudurpaschim provinces at Rs 71,828 and Rs 72,861 per person per year, respectively.