India's households are paying a sharply smaller share of the country's health bill directly from their own pockets, according to the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for India 2023-24, released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday, November 15.

Source: ANI via APNA MA TV

Government Health Expenditure rose from Rs 1,29,778 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 4,14,196 crore in 2023-24 — a roughly threefold increase in a decade. Over the same period, out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a share of total health expenditure fell from 64.2 per cent to 42.7 per cent, a drop of 21.5 percentage points.

Source: Indian Economic Observer (Health Ministry release)

The latest year, and what the numbers mean

The decline continued in the most recent year covered: the out-of-pocket share eased from 43.4 per cent in 2022-23 to 42.7 per cent in 2023-24. Out-of-pocket spending is the money families pay directly at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies at the time of treatment; a lower share generally means more of the cost is being carried by government schemes, public facilities or insurance instead of by the patient at the counter.

The estimates are the eleventh round prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) at the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) under the Health Ministry, using the internationally recognised System of Health Accounts 2011 framework, the ministry said.

The release frames the shift as substantial progress towards making healthcare more affordable and reducing the financial burden on households. The figures are official estimates for the financial year 2023-24; they describe the financing pattern for that year, not spending in the current year.