Government health expenditure in India has increased to 1.43 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022–23, which is a steady rise in public investment in the healthcare sector, according to data released by the government on Wednesday.

According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) 2022–23 report, Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as a share of GDP has risen from 1.15 per cent in 2013–14 to 1.43 per cent in 2022–23.

Using the new GDP series with base year 2022–23, the share stands at 1.48 per cent, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

It noted that the increase reflects sustained efforts by the government to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure and expand access to services.

Moreover, GHE as a share of General Government Expenditure (GGE) has increased from 3.78 per cent to 4.89 per cent over the same period, indicating higher prioritisation of 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 said the decade-long rise in public health spending has contributed to a reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a share of total health expenditure.

In addition, the share of government health expenditure in total health expenditure has increased from 28.6 per cent in 2013–14 to 43.7 per cent in 2022–23, underscoring a shift towards stronger public financing in healthcare.

The government highlighted improvements in social security expenditure and health insurance coverage, reflecting broader efforts towards financial protection and universal health coverage.

The National Health Accounts estimates are prepared 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.

–IANS

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