Risk of hospitalization doubles after 45; older people driving surge in care demand: Office for National Statistics

New Delhi: The risk of hospitalization in India doubles after the age of 45 and rises sharply among the elderly, according to the latest data from the National Survey Office (NSO) for the past 365 days, indicating a shift in the country’s healthcare burden.Hospitalization rates rose from 23 per 1,000 people in the 30-44 age group to 42 per 1,000 in the 45-59 age group, before almost doubling again to 81 per 1,000 in the 60 and older age group, the survey showed. By comparison, only 15 per 1,000 people aged 15-29 required hospitalization throughout the year. Children aged 0-4 years also have higher hospitalization rates (34 per 1,000) than adolescents and young adults, suggesting a double burden at both ends of the age spectrum.Data shows a clear shift in healthcare demand being increasingly driven by middle-aged and older adults. Experts say this reflects the growing burden of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease, which become more common with age and often require hospitalization.“The sharp rise in hospitalizations after age 45 reflects a systemic gap in preventive health care. Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, fatty liver disease and heart disease are accumulating earlier, but structured screening and risk adjustment are not keeping pace,” said Dr. Rommel Tickoo, chief of internal medicine at Sackett Max Hospital.“If India invests in early detection, routine metabolic screening, cardiovascular risk assessment and strengthening primary care, we can significantly reduce avoidable hospitalizations over the next few decades,” he added.The differences between states are stark. Kerala has the highest hospitalization rate, with 186 elderly people admitted per 1,000 people annually, more than twice the national average. Other areas such as Lakshadweep and Tripura have also seen an increase in infection rates, while some northeastern states have seen lower infection rates. Experts say higher incidence rates in states such as Kerala may also reflect better medical services and higher rates of disease detection.Among older people, hospitalization rates were higher among men (93 per 1,000) than among women (69 per 1,000), while the difference was smaller or reversed in younger age groups.The trend highlights the growing pressure on hospitals as India’s population ages. As more people live longer and develop long-term illnesses, demand for inpatient care is expected to rise further in the coming years.The NSO’s data, based on hospitalizations over the past year (excluding deliveries), highlights the need for stronger primary care, early detection and better management of chronic conditions to reduce avoidable hospitalizations. The survey results indicate that India’s healthcare needs are rapidly shifting towards the middle-aged and elderly population.