- Why in news
- On 27 May 2026 the Union Health Ministry released the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for India 2022-23. They show government health spending rising and out-of-pocket spending falling over the decade from 2013-14.
- What it is
- National Health Accounts estimates track how much India spends on health and who pays, across government, households and insurance. They are prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat at the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) under the Health Ministry. They follow the System of Health Accounts 2011 framework.
- Who prepares it
- The NHA is prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) at NHSRC, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Method
- Estimates use the System of Health Accounts 2011 (SHA 2011) framework.
- Government share in THE
- Government Health Expenditure as a share of Total Health Expenditure rose from 28.6% to 43.7% between 2013-14 and 2022-23.
- Out-of-pocket spending
- OOPE share of THE fell from 64.2% in 2013-14 to 43.4% in 2022-23.
- Social security expenditure
- SSE share in THE rose from 6% to 9.9%. It includes government-funded insurance, reimbursements to government employees and social health insurance.
Don’t confuse with THE vs GHE: Total Health Expenditure is all spending (government, households, insurance, others). Government Health Expenditure is only the government part.
Don’t confuse with GHE vs OOPE: GHE is public spending. OOPE is what households pay directly at the point of care, not reimbursed by any insurance.
Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.
Why it matters
- Shows public financing is replacing household payments, which supports Universal Health Coverage.
- Lower out-of-pocket spending reduces the risk of impoverishment from medical costs.
- Gives evidence to plan health budgets and track progress against national health goals.
Problems
- GHE at 1.43% of GDP is still low, and 2021-22 saw a COVID-driven one-time rise.
- OOPE at 43.4% remains high, so financial hardship persists.
- Health is a State subject, so spending and capacity vary widely across States.
Way forward
- Raise public health spending steadily and focus on primary care.
- Expand insurance coverage and cut OOPE on medicines and diagnostics.
- Strengthen State health budgets and publish timely data.
Put in your answer
Government share of THE: Share of government in total health spending rose from 28.6% to 43.7% in 2013-14 to 2022-23.
Primary care spending: Government spending on primary health care more than doubled, from ₹0.5 lakh crore to ₹1.4 lakh crore.
Per capita GHE: Per capita GHE rose nearly 2.7 times, from Rs 1,042 to Rs 2,786.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for India: 1. They are prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat at the National Health Systems Resource Centre. 2. They follow the System of Health Accounts 2011 framework. 3. Between 2013-14 and 2022-23, the share of Government Health Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure fell, while the share of out-of-pocket expenditure rose. 4. Social Security Expenditure on health, as counted in the NHA, includes government-funded health insurance and medical reimbursements to government employees. How many of the above statements are correct?
How many of the above statements are correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The National Health Accounts estimates are prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat at the National Health Systems Resource Centre.
True. NHATS at NHSRC prepares the NHA.
2.The NHA estimates for India follow the System of Health Accounts 2011 framework.
True. SHA 2011 is the methodology.
3.Between 2013-14 and 2022-23, the share of Government Health Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure fell from 43.7% to 28.6%.
False. It rose from 28.6% to 43.7%.
4.Out-of-pocket expenditure accounted for a majority of total health expenditure in 2022-23.
False. OOPE was 43.4% of THE in 2022-23, below half.
5.Government health expenditure in 2022-23 was 1.43% of GDP, up from 1.15% in 2013-14.
True. GHE/GDP rose from 1.15% to 1.43%.
6.Social Security Expenditure on health, as counted in the NHA, includes government-funded health insurance and reimbursements to government employees.
True. SSE covers government-funded insurance, employee reimbursements and social health insurance.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The National Health Accounts estimates for 2022-23 show a rise in the government's share of total health expenditure and a fall in out-of-pocket spending over the last decade. Examine the trends, and discuss the challenges that remain in achieving Universal Health Coverage in India.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.