Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26: Per capita health spending drops 2 ndyear in row

Delhi's health expenditure per capita dropped to ₹3,500 in 2023-24, down from ₹4,300, as spending normalizes post-Covid, according to the Economic Survey.

The per capita expenditure by Delhi government on health fell for the second year running – dropping from over ₹4,300 in 2021–22 to around ₹3,500 in 2023–24 – according to figures in the Delhi Economic Survey 2025–26 published on Monday, as spending continued to normalise after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta along with cabinet ministers at the Delhi Budget session on Monday. (HT Photo)

The report also noted that the government’s health spending as share of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) contracted by 15 basis points – from 0.83% in 2022–23 and 0.68% in 2023–24.

The report also noted that health spending stood at 0.68% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2023-24.

The survey shows that per capita health spending had followed a steady upward trajectory in the years leading to the pandemic, rising from ₹1,962 in 2015–16 to ₹2,867 in 2019–20. However, with the onset of Covid-19 in 2020–21, spending saw a sharp jump to ₹3,133, marking a break from the earlier trend as emergency healthcare needs surged. This intensified in 2021–22, when per capita expenditure soared to a record ₹4,361.87.

Since then, however, the trend has reversed, with spending falling to ₹3,892 in 2022–23 and further to ₹3,499 in 2023–24, indicating a tapering off as Covid-related pressures eased and expenditure levels began returning closer to pre-pandemic norms.

A similar trend is visible in overall health spending as a share of GSDP, which rose from 0.66% in 2015–16 to a peak of 1.04% in 2021–22, before falling to 0.83% in 2022–23 and 0.68% in 2023–24.

Experts said the rise in spending majorly took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, when there was an urgent need for health infrastructure overhaul. “Both the government and the public sectors came forward and people became more aware of health-related issues and complications. Further, healthcare expenditure can not be an emergency case. On the ground, we still see loopholes, especially in early diagnosis, preventive care, and access for common people. Patients often come late because of low awareness or inaccessible facilities. Moreover, the burden of the lifestyle-related diseases is also rising. The impact of pollution on health is also visible,” Dr Vineet Malhotra, Director VNA Hospital, said.

The survey also highlighted gaps in hospital capacity, noting that Delhi’s bed population ratio stood at 2.84 per 1,000 in 2025-26 – well below the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended benchmark of five beds per 1,000 population. While beds increased from 49,969 in 2015-16 to 63,802 in 2025-26, population growth has kept the ratio low.

Public healthcare infrastructure showed stagnation, with hospitals declining from 94 in 2015-16 to 92 in 2025-26. Government dispensaries reached 1,704 in 2024-25 before falling to 1,501 in 2025-26, while maternity homes and sub-centres declined sharply from 265 to 129 over the decade. Private sector capacity expanded, with hospitals and nursing homes increasing from 1,057 to 1,181.

It also flagged that while institutional deliveries rose slightly to 96.09%, births attended by skilled health personnel decreased to 96.74% in 2024. The CATS ambulance fleet currently operates 330 vehicles, with the control room requiring upgrades to integrate up to 1,000 ambulances.