A decade ago, owning a bike or a refrigerator was still a stretch for many Indian families. Today, the share of households owning a two-wheeler or four-wheeler in rural areas has tripled from 19% in 2011-12 to 59% in 2023-24, according to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2011-12 and 2023-24 by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
The refrigerator becomes a must-have
According to the report, while washing machines and air coolers have grown steadily, refrigerators stand out as the most rapidly adopted household appliance. Rural refrigerator ownership more than tripled from 9.4% in 2011-12 to 33.2% in 2023-24. In urban areas, ownership rose from 43.8% to 68.1% over the same period.
The report further highlights that refrigerators have seen greater and more widespread growth than washing machines and ACs, reflecting their role as an essential household asset linked to rising living standards and changing lifestyles. This growth is visible across states, even though regional differences remain.
Laptops lag behind
Not all modern devices have seen the same rise. Laptop and PC ownership remains low and concentrated in fewer households.
The report attributes this slow growth to limited user know-how, affordability barriers and their specialised use for education or professional work. As a result, laptops have not expanded at the same pace as other durables like vehicles or refrigerators.
Mobile a top priority across rural, urban households
The most dramatic shift is visible in how households consume media and information. Mobile phones have reached near-universal ownership across the country.
In rural areas, mobile ownership jumped from 77.6% to 96.5% between 2011-12 and 2023-24. In urban areas, it increased from 92.2% to 97.7%.
Television ownership slows
At the same time, television ownership has slowed and even declined in many urban areas. The report states that TV ownership in the urban areas fell to 78.5% in 2023-24 as compared to 80.4% in 2011-12.
The report clearly points to a substitution effect. In today’s India, progress is no longer measured only by what families eat, but by the assets they own and the connectivity they enjoy.
