Medical trips costliest in both rural & urban areas
A recent National Sample Survey reveals that medical trips are the most expensive form of domestic travel in India, with urban residents spending significantly more than rural counterparts. The data highlights that the majority of travel expenditure is driven by medical needs, followed by religious pilgrimages.
Why it matters
Understanding domestic travel expenditure patterns is crucial for infrastructure planning and assessing the economic burden of healthcare access in India.
Health and medical trips were most expensive among all trips completed in a year with average expenditure of Rs 29,454 in rural areas and Rs 41,649 in urban areas. Of this expenditure, over 70% was spent on medical treatment. The largest chunk of travel (48.7%) in a year was for pilgrimage or religious purposes.This was revealed in the survey on Domestic Tourism Expenditure conducted from July 2025 to June 2026 as part of National Sample Survey's 80th round. The survey collected information on purpose and expenditure of domestic travel, including overnight trips, and same-day journeys, and categories of expenditure during the trips.The report showed that of the expenditure on travel for health and medical needs, 10% was for accommodation, followed by 5% each for food and drink and transport.
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