Kohima: Nagaland’s government health expenditure cratered by 29.1% during the 2023–24 financial year. State spending dropped to Rs 917 crore from a peak of Rs 1,294 crore the year prior, a total reduction of Rs 377 crore. Per capita health spending also took a hit, falling from Rs 6,470 to Rs 4,585.
These figures arrived in the National Health Accounts Estimates for India 2023–24, released on November 15. The sharp downturn arrived as the state’s economy and overall government spending actually grew. General Government Expenditure climbed to Rs 17,942 crore, while the Gross State Domestic Product reached Rs 39,809 crore.
Health funding moved in the opposite direction. Government Health Expenditure as a share of total government spending tumbled from 8% to 5.1%. This represents the lowest rate in the country. As a percentage of the state economy, health spending fell from 3.6% to 2.3%.
The data highlights a major reversal. From 2017 to 2023, the state had steadily increased its health budget. The 2022–23 peak marked the highest spending in seven years. The report noted that while the recent figures look bleak, nominal spending remains higher than any year between 2017 and 2021.
Compared to other North-East states, Nagaland ranks near the bottom. It holds the lowest proportion of government expenditure allocated to health in the region. Among the eight states, Nagaland's 5.1% share lags behind Meghalaya at 10.7% and Sikkim at 10.2%. Its per capita spending of Rs 4,585 is lower than Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Sikkim.
National trends show a different path. Across India, government health expenditure tripled over the last decade, reaching Rs 4.14 lakh crore. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that government expenditure on primary healthcare hit Rs 1.53 lakh crore in 2023–24. The ministry cited limited data for smaller regions. It noted, "The NHA report does not provide state-specific estimates of THE, household OOPE or Social Security Expenditure on Health for Nagaland." Officials blamed insufficient sample sizes for the lack of granular regional detail.
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