Panaji: Goa has reported the fourth-highest morbidity rate in the country, with 18.7% of its population indicating illness within a 15-day reference period, as against the national average of 13.1%.The figures were released in the National Statistics Office (NSO) report on household social consumption: health, published in April for the period Jan to Dec 2025.Only Kerala (39.7%), West Bengal (24.5%), and Andhra Pradesh (21.1%) reported higher morbidity than Goa.The survey classifies morbidity as the proportion of persons responding as ailing (PPRA) during the last 15-day period.Out of Goa’s 18.7% PPRA reported, 16.2% were male and 21.1% female.Rural Goa reported a higher morbidity rate of 23.1% against urban Goa with 15.5%.The major chunk of persons who responded as ailing in Goa were in the 60+ age group (59.7%), followed by the 0-4 age group (33%) and 45-59 age group (20.4%).The survey covered 62 detailed ailment categories, which were clubbed into 17 broad categories: infections (including fevers, jaundice, diarrhoea/dysentery), cancers, blood diseases, endocrine or metabolic (including diabetes and thyroid diseases), psychiatric or neurological, eye, ear, cardiovascular (including hypertension and heart disease), respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, musculo-skeletal (including joint pain, back and body aches), genito-urinary, obstetric, injuries, kidney failure, and other ailments.In this round of the survey, two ailments were added to the existing list: sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, and other relevant conditions under the broad category of blood diseases and kidney failure.The survey is the eighth such full-fledged all-India survey that collects information on general morbidity, inpatient and outpatient care, and childbirths. The information was collected from 1,39,732 households spread over rural and urban areas of the country.
