**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to a question regarding government health expenditure in GDP, asked on February 13, 2026. The response provides details on government health expenditure, out-of-pocket expenditure, and government efforts to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The reference year used for some of the data is 2021-22.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Expenditure Details (2021-22):**
* Government Health Expenditure (GHE): Rs. 4,34,163 crore.
* Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE): Rs. 3,56,254 crore.
* GHE as a percentage of GDP: 1.84%.
* **Government Efforts to Reduce OOPE:**
* The Government is making efforts to reduce OOPE as a percentage of Total Health Expenditure (THE).
* GHE as a percentage of THE has increased from 29.0% in 2014-15 to 48.0% in 2021-22.
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has rolled out various schemes and programs to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services.
* **Key Schemes and Programs:**
* **National Health Mission (NHM):** Supports State Governments in providing accessible and affordable healthcare, improving health infrastructure, and enhancing the availability of human resources and quality healthcare, especially for underserved groups in rural areas. It also includes the National Free Drugs Service initiative and Free diagnostic Service.
* **Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM):** Established 1.83 lakh AAMs by transforming existing Sub-Health Centres and Primary Health Centres. The AAMs deliver expanded healthcare services, including preventive, promotive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative services.
* **Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM):** Launched to develop primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare systems, strengthen national institutions, and create new institutions to address emerging diseases.
* **Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY):** Aims to provide health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to more than 12 crore families. It has been expanded to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above.
* **Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP):** Makes quality generic medicines available at affordable prices in collaboration with State Governments.
* **AMRIT Pharmacy stores:** Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacy stores have been set up in some hospitals/institutions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Citizens/General Public:**
* **Impact:** Increased access to affordable and quality healthcare services, reduced out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare.
* **Action Required:** Awareness of available schemes and programs, utilization of AAMs, PMBJP, and AB-PMJAY for healthcare needs.
**State Governments:**
* **Impact:** Supported by the central government to improve health infrastructure and provide better healthcare services.
* **Action Required:** Implementation of NHM and AB-PMJAY, and collaboration with PMBJP for affordable medicine availability.
**Healthcare Institutions (Public and Private):**
* **Impact:** Enhanced infrastructure and resources to provide comprehensive healthcare services.
* **Action Required:** Participation in government schemes, integration of AAMs, and adherence to quality standards for healthcare delivery.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Central ministry responsible for the schemes and programs mentioned in the document.
National Health Mission (NHM): A centrally sponsored scheme to improve healthcare access and affordability.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): A health insurance scheme to provide financial protection for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): A mission to develop primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare capacities.
Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM): Initiative to transform existing health centers to deliver expanded primary healthcare services.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2375
TO BE ANSWERED ON13thFEBRUARY, 2026
GOVERNMENTHEALTH EXPENDITURE IN GDP
2375. SHRINAVEENJINDAL:
Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a)the detailsof the share of Government healthexpenditure inthe country's GDPason31st
March, 2024;
(b) the average Government spending inhealthcareason 31st March, 2024; and
(c)the average Out-of-Pocket expenditure onhealthservices ason 31st March, 2024along
with the efforts beingmade bythe Government toreduce thisexpenditure andthe outcomes
thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to (c): As per the available National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates 2021-22, Government
Health Expenditure (GHE) is Rs. 4,34,163 crore, Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) is Rs.
3,56,254 crore andGHE asa percentageof GDPis1.84%.
The Government is making efforts to reduce the OOPE asa percentage of Total Health Expenditure
(THE). There has been a significant increase in Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as
percentageof THE,which hasincreased from 29.0% in2014-15 to48.0% in2021-22.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has rolled out and implemented various schemes and
programs to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services to all, including those in
rural areas. These key schemes/programs have contributed in reducing out-of-pocket expenditures
inavailinghealth services, some of these initiativesare below:-
National Health Mission (NHM): Under the NHM, the Government has taken many steps towards
universal health coverage by supporting the State Governments in providing accessible and
affordable healthcare to people. The NHM provides support for improvement in health
infrastructure, availability of adequate human resources to man health facilities, to improve
availability and accessibility to quality health care especially for the underserved and marginalized
groups in rural areas. National Free Drugs Service initiative and Free diagnostic Service has been
rolled out to ensure availability of essential drugs and diagnostic facilities and to reduce out of
pocketexpenditure of the patientsvisiting public healthfacilities.Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) : As reported on AAM portal, a total of 1.83 lakh AAMs have
been established and operationalized by transforming existing Sub-Health Centres and Primary
Health Centres in rural and urban areas. The purpose of AAMs are to deliver the expandedrange of
comprehensive primary healthcare services that includes preventive, promotive, curative, palliative
and rehabilitative services encompassing Reproductive and Child care services, Communicable
diseases, Non-communicable diseases and all health issues, which are universal, free and closer to
the community.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) was launched as a
mission to develop the capacities of primary, secondary and tertiary health care systems; strengthen
existing national institutions and create new institutions to cater to detection and cure of new and
emerging diseases.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) aimstoprovide health coverof
Rs. 5lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to more than12 crore
families constituting the economically vulnerable bottom 40% of India’s population. States/UTs
implementing AB-PMJAY have further expanded the beneficiary base, at their own cost. Recently,
the scheme has been expanded to cover 6crore senior citizens of age 70years and above belonging
to 4.5 crore families irrespective of their socio-economic status under AB-PMJAY with Vay
VandanaCard.
Besides, quality generic medicines are made available at affordable prices to all under Pradhan
Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) in collaboration with the State Governments.
Affordable MedicinesandReliable Implantsfor Treatment (AMRIT) Pharmacystores have beenset
up insome hospitals/institutions.
***