Government health expenditure in India has increased to 1.43% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fiscal year 2022–23, showing a consistent growth in public investment in the healthcare sector. The National Health Accounts (NHA) 2022–23 report reveals that Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as a percentage of GDP has climbed from 1.15% in 2013–14 to 1.43% in 2022–23.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the new GDP series based on 2022–23, the share now stands at 1.48%. This increase signifies the government’s ongoing efforts to bolster public healthcare infrastructure and enhance service accessibility. Moreover, GHE as a share of General Government Expenditure (GGE) has risen from 3.78% to 4.89% during the same period, indicating a greater emphasis on health in public spending.
In per capita terms, government health expenditure has nearly tripled from Rs 1,042 in 2013–14 to Rs 2,786 in 2022–23. The ministry highlighted that the decade-long surge in public health spending has led to a decrease in out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a part of total health expenditure. Additionally, the proportion of government health expenditure in total health expenditure has surged from 28.6% in 2013–14 to 43.7% in 2022–23, emphasizing a shift towards more robust public financing in healthcare.
The government also pointed out enhancements in social security expenditure and health insurance coverage, indicating broader initiatives towards financial protection and universal health coverage. The National Health Accounts estimates are formulated by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat at the National Health Systems Resource Centre under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare using the System of Health Accounts (2011) framework.
