1 week ago

India's 2026 Household Budgets Shift as Groceries Fall, Rents Rise

Grocery spending falls 8%, rent jumps 21%: How GST 2.0 is reshaping India's household budgets in 2026 · livemint.com

A study looked at how Indian families used their money in 2026.

Families spent less on groceries than they did in 2025.

However, they spent much more on rent.

Education also became a larger expense for many families.

People said GST 2.0 lowered prices in several categories, including food, medicines, vehicles, and appliances.

But most families did not suddenly start buying many more things.

Some used the extra money to save more.

Others bought better food or spent more on education and health.

This shows that families used their financial relief carefully.

Key facts

Grocery spending: ₹8,505 per month in 2026, down 8% from 2025 and equal to 25% of the wallet.
Rent spending: ₹6,965 per month, up 21% from 2025 and equal to 21% of essential spending.
Education spending: ₹6,604 per month, up 12% from 2025 and equal to 20% of essential spending.
Reported food and grocery price relief: 19% after GST 2.0.
Reported medicine and healthcare price relief: 21% after GST 2.0.
Unchanged behavior: 61% of respondents said their spending or saving behavior had not changed.
Changed priorities: Among the 39% who changed behavior, 12% saved more, 12% spent more on food quality, 9% on children’s education, and 7% on health.

livemint.com · 1 week ago