New Delhi- The Union Health Ministry has released the National Health Account (NHA) estimates for India for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, marking the eighth and ninth reports in this annual series. Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, highlighted that the improved methodology over the past nine years has provided a more accurate picture of government health expenditures.

Notably, the share of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in Total Health Expenditure (THE) has significantly declined from 64.2% in 2013-14 to 39.4% in 2021-22, indicating enhanced financial protection for citizens.

The data reveals a substantial increase in government spending on health, with the Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as a percentage of GDP rising from 1.13% in 2014-15 to 1.84% in 2021-22. Per capita government spending on healthcare has also tripled, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing public health services.

The NHA estimates highlight positive trends such as reduced OOPE and increased social security expenditure on healthcare, which have collectively contributed to progress toward achieving Universal Health Coverage in India.