We're eating less rice, more fish and meat, data show

People's dependence on rice as a staple has declined while the consumption of nutritious foods such as fish, meat, milk and vegetables has increased, according to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; which experts say indicates a rise in per capita income.

BBS data show that daily per capita consumption of major foods, including pulses, vegetables, fish, meat, milk and milk products, and fruits increased from 734.7 grams in 2016 to 820.8 grams in 2022.

In the case of rice, daily per capita consumption declined by 38.3 grams on average, from 367.2 grams in 2016 to 328.9 grams in 2022. On the other hand, the consumption of wheat slightly increased from 19.8 grams to 22.9 grams.

However, the survey found that consumption of eggs declined during the period.

Nutritionists and agricultural and economic experts say several factors, such as a rise in production, availability, price level and people's income, played an important role in the change in food consumption patterns.

Agriculture expert Dr Jahangir Alam said there is a positive correlation between the increase in people's income and the consumption of nutritious food.

"For every 1% increase in the income of poor people, the demand for rice or wheat increases by less than 0.3%, whereas the demand for fruits, milk and vegetables increases by 1.5%. The rise in the consumption of nutritious food indicates an increase in people's income," he said.

He also notes that the production of fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables in Bangladesh has been increasing by more than 5% over the past decade. The dependence on rice has declined as the production of nutritious food has increased.

Dr Mizanul Haque Khan, secretary general of the Bangladesh Agricultural Economists Association, suggested that as income rises, people tend to allocate more of their spending towards nutritious foods instead of just rice. He added that increasing awareness about the importance of a balanced diet may also be contributing to the shift in food habits.

According to Samia Tasnim, a nutritionist at Labaid Hospital, the increase in consumption of nutritious food is a positive trend shown by the survey. If the benefits of this trend reach the poorer sections of society, it will have a positive impact.

The BBS survey reveals that the daily per capita consumption of fish in 2016 was 62.6 grams, which has now increased to 67.8 grams. Additionally, the consumption of vegetables has also increased due to the availability of hybrid varieties.

On the other hand, the daily per capita consumption of meat has increased from 25.4 grams to 40 grams, while the consumption of milk and milk products has increased from 27.3 grams to 34.1 grams.

People concerned said chicken has become an essential daily item for people across the country because its price remains within a certain range throughout the year, unlike beef, which is often expensive. Although there may be some market volatility at times, the supply and price of chicken are generally within reach of the average consumer, which has led to an increase in meat consumption.

Although the consumption of fish and meat has increased, per capita consumption of eggs has decreased.

According to the survey, daily egg consumption has decreased from 13.6 grams to 12.7 grams. Experts say that although the supply of eggs has been stable in recent years, the prices are high. On the other hand, with the rise in consumption of fish and meat, there may be less pressure on egg consumption.

Meanwhile, people's consumption of fruits has seen a significant increase over the past six years. In 2016, daily per capita fruit consumption was 35.8 grams, but it more than doubled to 95.4 grams in 2022.

People involved in fruit production suggest that the import of fruits has slightly decreased in recent times, but the production of fruits in the country is constantly increasing. Consumers can now enjoy a variety of fruits throughout the year, including guavas, mangoes, litchis, watermelons, pineapples, plums and bananas.

The country's annual fruit production has now reached 1.40 lakh tonnes.

According to BBS, people's caloric intake has increased in six years. Nationally, the average calorie intake increased by 8.26% to 2,393 kilocalories per day. BBS says that the main reason for this is that people have increased their spending on food.

Per family expenditure on food has increased from Tk7,354 to Tk14,000 per month, the survey noted.