In a recent survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), it was revealed that patients in Telangana bore the highest hospital expenses among all Indian states in 2025. The average cost for each instance of hospitalization was nearly Rs 53,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of Rs 37,858.
The survey also indicated a significant increase in the percentage of persons covered under health insurance schemes since the previous round of the survey in 2017-18. In rural areas, coverage increased from 14% to 47%, while in urban areas it rose from 19% to 44%.
Despite the increase in health insurance coverage, people in Telangana still had to spend Rs 46,316 on average as out-of-pocket medical expenditure (OOPME) per case of hospitalization in 2025. This was the second-highest amount across states, following Sikkim (Rs 46,763).
Interestingly, private hospitals were found to be the third most expensive in Tamil Nadu among Indian states, with costs reaching Rs 1,50,552. The average hospitalization costs were also high in other states and Union Territories such as Maharashtra (Rs 44,778), Jharkhand (Rs 43,453), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 43,006), Delhi (Rs 42,904), and the Union Territory of Chandigarh (Rs 80,478).
On the other hand, the lowest average hospitalization costs were recorded in Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 12,182), Tripura (Rs 14,663), Odisha (Rs 18,074), and Mizoram (Rs 20,848). However, in these states too, the average expenses in private hospitals ranged from around Rs 44,000 to Rs 95,000.
The survey also reported an average medical expenditure per institutional childbirth of Rs 15,595 across India. Kerala was found to be the most expensive at nearly Rs 40,000.
The study covered around 1.4 lakh households across rural and urban India from January to December, 2025. The survey measured morbidity, among other aspects of healthcare expenditure in India.
