New ‘record’ for Kerala; state ranks second among Indian states that spend least money on liquor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is often assumed that liquor is very important to Malayalis on all festival occasions. Kerala is often known for registering record sales of liquor on days like Onam and Christmas. Malayalis even have the label of ‘drunkards’ among people of other states. However, a recent survey report startled many when it revealed that Kerala ranks second among Indian states that spend the least money on liquor.

As per the survey report, an average Malayali spends very little money on alcohol and tobacco in his household expenditure. According to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2022-2023, Kerala is the second lowest-spending state in the country. In other words, Malayalees are not the kind of people who spend a large portion of their money on liquor and other intoxicants.According to the report, in rural Kerala, only 1.88 per cent of the total household expenditure is spent on alcohol and tobacco. Whereas in urban areas, only 1.37 per cent is spent on alcohol and tobacco. Meanwhile, the national average is 3.70 per cent in rural areas and 2.41 per cent in urban areas. This indicates that Kerala lags behind the national average in alcohol consumption.Andaman and Nicobar (9.08%) and Arunachal Pradesh (6.51%) spend the most money on alcohol in rural areas of the country. The report also indicates that Goa spends the least on drugs in rural areas (1.52%) and Maharashtra in urban areas (1.14%).