Urban ⁠Tamil Nadu ranks second highest in non-veg consumption in South India: Survey

Kerala’s urban population consumed 19.8 percent of their food expenditure on eggs, fish and meat.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation released on June 7, urban areas of Tamil Nadu ranked second in the consumption of non-vegetarian food -- eggs, fish and meat -- among the five southern states in 2022-23, following Kerala.

The "Household Consumption Expenditure: 2022-23" survey showed that Kerala had the highest consumption of eggs, fish, and meat in both rural and urban sectors. In Tamil Nadu's urban sector, 12.3 percent of total food expenditure was on non-vegetarian items, whereas Kerala’s urban population spent 19.8 percent of their food budget on these items. In comparison, Andhra Pradesh’s urban sector spent 11.9 percent, Karnataka’s urban population spent 10.5 percent, and Telangana’s urban areas spent 11.9 percent of their total food expenditure on non-vegetarian items in 2022-23.

The survey covered 18 major states, including the southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In rural Andhra Pradesh, 14.8 percent of food expenditure was on non-vegetarian food. Similarly, in rural Telangana, 15.8 percent of total food expenditure went to eggs, fish, and meat in 2022-23.