Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Statistics 2026: Cards, Hospital Admissions and Hospitals
· 2 min read · 6 official sources
By 16 October 2026 the NHA dashboard counted 49.31 crore Ayushman cards. PM-JAY had funded about 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore by 31 August 2026, through over 38,000 empanelled hospitals. Uttar Pradesh has the most cards, and 2023 saw the most cards made in a year.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY): key numbers
Infographic
Ayushman cards created by calendar year
Cards created in each calendar year, added up from the half-monthly counts on the NHA public dashboard. The 2026 row runs to 16 October.
| Year | Cards created (crore) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.70 |
| 2019 | 6.06 |
| 2020 | 1.49 |
| 2021 | 3.93 |
| 2022 | 6.12 |
| 2023 | 10.02 |
| 2024 | 7.18 |
| 2025 | 6.83 |
| 2026 (to 16 Oct) | 6.99 |
Source: dashboard.nha.gov.in, as on 16 October 2026
Top 15 states by Ayushman cards created
Total Ayushman cards created since launch in the 15 states with the most cards.
| State | Cards (lakh) |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 610.80 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 453.90 |
| Maharashtra | 439.42 |
| West Bengal | 416.05 |
| Bihar | 399.89 |
| Odisha | 344.84 |
| Gujarat | 296.56 |
| Chhattisgarh | 248.53 |
| Rajasthan | 229.79 |
| Karnataka | 192.43 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 187.56 |
| Assam | 176.82 |
| Jharkhand | 142.40 |
| Haryana | 142.23 |
| Punjab | 127.59 |
Source: dashboard.nha.gov.in, as on 16 October 2026
Empanelled hospitals by type
Public and private hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY on the NHA public dashboard.
| Hospital type | Hospitals |
|---|---|
| Public | 20,807 |
| Private | 18,656 |
Source: dashboard.nha.gov.in, as on 16 October 2026
How PM-JAY cashless treatment works
What the numbers show
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY has become very large. The NHA public dashboard counted 49.31 crore Ayushman cards on 16 October 2026, and a PIB explainer of 22 September 2026 said the scheme had funded about 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore by 31 August 2026. That works out to an average of roughly Rs 15,300 per admission.
The trend over the years
Card creation has come in waves. Only about 0.70 crore cards were made in the last months of 2018, rising to 6.06 crore in 2019. Covid lockdowns pulled 2020 down to 1.49 crore. The biggest year so far was 2023, with about 10 crore cards. Since then the yearly count has stayed near 7 crore, helped by the October 2024 extension to every senior citizen aged 70 and above. More than 1.36 crore Vay Vandana cards had been made by 21 September 2026.
Admissions have grown steadily too. PIB reported 12.69 crore admissions worth Rs 1.92 lakh crore as on 30 June 2026, so about 56 lakh admissions were added in the two months to 31 August.
State differences
The populous states lead on cards: Uttar Pradesh (610.80 lakh), Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar each have close to or above 400 lakh. West Bengal became the 36th state or union territory to implement PM-JAY in 2026, according to PIB. Card counts depend on how many families are eligible, so a smaller number does not always mean poor coverage.
What the figures do not tell you
A card is not a claim. Many card holders never need a hospital stay in a given year, and one person can be admitted several times, so admissions are not a count of unique patients. The dashboard also counts cards, not families, and includes cards under state schemes run together with PM-JAY. Treatment value is the amount authorised, which can differ from what is finally paid to hospitals.
Where to check the live numbers
The NHA public dashboard at dashboard.nha.gov.in/public shows cards created, hospitals empanelled and state and district breakdowns, updated daily. PIB publishes admission totals in replies to Parliament questions.
Frequently asked questions
How many Ayushman cards have been made so far in 2026?
The NHA public dashboard counted 49.31 crore Ayushman cards on 16 October 2026. About 6.99 crore of these were created between 1 January and 16 October 2026.
How many hospital admissions has PM-JAY paid for?
About 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore had been funded as on 31 August 2026, according to a PIB explainer released for the scheme's eighth anniversary.
Which state has the most Ayushman cards?
Uttar Pradesh, with about 6.11 crore cards on the NHA dashboard in October 2026, followed by Madhya Pradesh (4.54 crore) and Maharashtra (4.39 crore).
How many hospitals are empanelled under Ayushman Bharat?
The NHA dashboard listed 39,463 empanelled hospitals on 16 October 2026: 20,807 public and 18,656 private.
How many Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have been issued?
More than 1.36 crore senior citizens aged 70 and above had Vay Vandana cards as of 21 September 2026, out of about 6 crore who are eligible.
What is the PM-JAY budget for 2026-27?
The Union budget estimate for AB PM-JAY in 2026-27 is Rs 9,500 crore. States add their own share, usually 40% (10% in the North-East and Himalayan states).
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- dashboard.nha.gov.in (dashboard.nha.gov.in/public/card)
- dashboard.nha.gov.in (dashboard.nha.gov.in/public/)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=160081&ModuleId=3)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2294278)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241085)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2270375)