One in every eight people in India is battling a disease. While prevalence of illness remains high among children and the elderly, young people too, are showing more susceptibility. Overall, the disease burden has more than doubled in the past three decades. These are the findings of a recent report released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on April 27, 2026.
The “Household Social Consumption: Health” report, based on the 80th round of National Sample Survey or NSS (January-December 2025), measures disease prevalence among people in India over a 15-day period. It indicates a significant increase in disease burden across regions. In urban areas, for example, about 14.9 per cent of people reported morbidity (recorded as Proportion of Persons Reported Ailing or PPRA), a jump from the 5.4 per cent recorded in the 1995-96 NSS (52nd round). In rural areas, morbidity in the latest round is 12.2 per cent, compared to 5.5 per cent in 1995-96.
The report shows that the elderly and children continue to bear the heaviest burdens. Children up to 14 years old show greater incidence of infections, with common symptoms like fever, cough and throat infections. On the other hand, those aged 45-59 years show high morbidity due to non-communicable and lifestyle ailments, especially endocrine or metabolic conditions like diabetes. Nearly half of the population group aged above 60 years is found to be in poor health.
The number of people suffering from heart disease is up almost three times since the previous NSO survey in 2017-18; the working age popula-tion, 15-44 years old, represents a significant share of this group. Morbidity due to conditions like hypertension, heart disease, chest pain and difficulty in breathing, among the 15-29 age group is 2.1 per cent. The rate rises significantly to 15.3 per cent for those aged 30-44 years. It doubles to 30.1 per cent in the 45-59 age group and to 37.8 per cent in those over 60 years.
In rural areas, cardiovascular-related morbidity is 11.5 per cent among men and 9.0 per cent among women. In urban areas, it is 13.2 per cent among men and 10.5 per cent among women. This contrasts overall morbidity trends: since 1995-96, women report higher overall PPRA than men. In the latest report too, overall morbidity among women is 14.4 per cent, as against 11.8 per cent among men.
The cost of treating cardiovascular conditions is also high. In urban areas, treatment costs an average of R69,451, more than that for...
This article was originally published as an exclusive analysis in the May 16-31, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth. Access the magazine for the complete analysis and infographics