Kerala Tops Hospitalisation Rate In India: Does 'Best Healthcare' Tag Fit For The State?
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Kerala has recorded the highest hospitalisation rate among all states in India in 2025. The elderly, specifically the people above the age group of 60 witnessed the highest hospitalization rate, which is 186 per 1,000 people, compared to the national average of 81, according to the National Statistics Office’s Household Social Consumption Survey on Health.
The state also recorded the highest in hospitalisations across all age groups among states, in addition to the above 60 age group. Kerala reported 103 hospitalizations per 1,000 people in the 45–59 age group. The national average in the age group is 41. The state recorded 128 hospitalizations per 1,000 people among children aged below four, which is significantly higher than the national average of 34.
In the 5-14 age group too, Kerala registered the highest hospitalizations, with 53 per 1,000 in the year, against the national average of 11. However, when union territories are included, Lakshadweep ranked first with 226 hospitalisations per 1,000 people in the above 60 categories.
Critics have called for a close analysis of Kerala’s healthcare system, which is hailed as the best in the country. Calling the development ironic, the critics doubt whether the best healthcare tag fit for the state. Notably, supporters have highlighted the state’s rising life expectancy as people in Kerala living 10 years longer than the current life expectancy rate, as per a study conducted by the International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMAD) and the Population Foundation of India.
Read Also: ‘Rs 3,000 Pension,…’: Key Promises Made By LDF & UDF For Upcoming Kerala Assembly Elections
Supporters have attributed the hospitalisation rate to the life expectancy rise, pointing out that people in the state increasingly afford and seeks crucial medical care, suggesting a significant rise in the state’s progress in healthcare and living standards.
