In 2011, 5.25 crore Indians slipped into poverty due to health costs; second highest after Bangladesh

by Swagata Yadavar In 2011, 4.1 percent Indians slipped into poverty, earning less than $1.90 (2011) or Rs 84 per person per day, due to out-of-pocket health expenditure, the second highest proportion in the world after Bangladesh. In absolute numbers, 52.5 million Indians were impoverished due to health costs in 2011, almost half of the world’s impoverished population, according to  data  released by World Bank and World Health Organisation. Health expenditures push about 100 million people per year into “extreme poverty”– those who live on $1.90 or less a day – and about 180 million per year into poverty using the $3.10 per day threshold, according to the 2017 Universal Health Coverage Global Monitoring  Report . Bangladesh, with 4.5 percent persons impoverished due to health costs, has the highest proportion in the world.

South Asians accounted for 60 percent of the world’s 97 million people impoverished due to health costs. While the number of people impoverished in South Asia due to health costs has reduced from 62.4 million in 2000 to 57.1 million in 2010, the region has the most people impoverished due to health expenditure.

The author is a principal correspondent with IndiaSpend. Indiaspend.org  is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit/FactChecker.in is a fact-checking initiative, scrutinising for veracity and context statements made by individuals and organisations in public life.