Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia

South Asia: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care was 43.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
43.7%
Change on year
down 7.6%
Rank
10th
of 39 groups
All-time high
89.2%
in 2003
All-time low
43.7%
in 2022
Years of data
20
2003–2022

Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia, 2003–2022

0204060802003201220222003: 89.2 % of people at risk2004: 87.5 % of people at risk2005: 86.2 % of people at risk2006: 84.6 % of people at risk2007: 83.2 % of people at risk2008: 81.7 % of people at risk2009: 78.8 % of people at risk2010: 77.3 % of people at risk2011: 73.5 % of people at risk2012: 71.5 % of people at risk2013: 68.8 % of people at risk2014: 65.2 % of people at risk2015: 62.3 % of people at risk2016: 58.7 % of people at risk2017: 55.9 % of people at risk2018: 52.3 % of people at risk2019: 49.8 % of people at risk2020: 52.6 % of people at risk2021: 47.3 % of people at risk2022: 43.7 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

In 2022, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia stood at 43.7%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.6% on the previous year and down 38.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia peaked at 89.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2022.

That places South Asia 10th out of 39 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia, year by year

Annual values for Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in South Asia, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 89.2%
2004 87.5% -1.9%
2005 86.2% -1.5%
2006 84.6% -1.8%
2007 83.2% -1.7%
2008 81.7% -1.8%
2009 78.8% -3.5%
2010 77.3% -2.0%
2011 73.5% -4.9%
2012 71.5% -2.8%
2013 68.8% -3.7%
2014 65.2% -5.2%
2015 62.3% -4.5%
2016 58.7% -5.7%
2017 55.9% -4.9%
2018 52.3% -6.4%
2019 49.8% -4.7%
2020 52.6% +5.6%
2021 47.3% -10.2%
2022 43.7% -7.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 84.5% 78.8% 89.2% 7
2010s 63.5% 49.8% 77.3% 10
2020s 47.9% 43.7% 52.6% 3

Countries ranked near South Asia

  1. 7 Sierra Leone 93.4% compare
  2. 8 Tanzania 91.5% compare
  3. 9 Central African Republic 89.3% compare
  4. 10 Uganda 88.5% compare
  5. 11 East Timor 87.2% compare
  6. 12 Nepal 86.6% compare
  7. 13 Yemen 86.5% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for South Asia

All data for South Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia?
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia was 43.7% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in South Asia?
The highest recorded value was 89.2% in 2003.
What is the lowest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in South Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 2022.
How does South Asia rank for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
South Asia ranks 10th out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
Is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in South Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 38.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Asia data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in South Asia. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-impoverishing-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $2.15 PPP/day).