Explainer: How LPG use in rural, urban India differs

India Mar 16, 2026

India's LPG story is more complex than it seems.
Thanks to the West Asia energy crunch, we're seeing how rural areas, especially those covered by the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), use a lot of LPG overall, but each household actually uses less than in cities.
Since 1998-99, total LPG usage has shot up six times, with a big chunk of that growth coming from rural connections.

Rural vs urban

Since PMUY launched in 2016-17, over 10 crore new connections have helped push India toward cleaner cooking, cutting down on smoky fuels like wood and dung.
But city households still use way more LPG per month than rural ones; for example, Delhi averages about 11.4kg per home, while Bihar and UP are closer to seven kg.