NEW DELHI: India’s digital health mission has achieved a significant milestone, with over 900 million Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs) created nationwide. This development highlights the rapid growth of a digital health ecosystem designed to make medical records easily accessible.
The National Health Authority (NHA) announced on Saturday that the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has surpassed the 900 million mark, a major increase from 147 million ABHAs recorded in 2021. This initiative is noted as one of the world’s largest digital health record programs.
The ABHA, a unique 14-digit digital health identity, allows individuals to securely link, access, and share their health records across various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and digital health applications, with the user’s consent. This system aims to decrease reliance on physical medical records and enhance continuity of care.
The growth of ABHA registration has been notably rapid over the past five years. Cumulative ABHA creation has escalated from 147 million in 2021 to 304 million in 2022, 506 million in 2023, 722 million in 2024, 845 million in 2025, and now exceeding 900 million this year.
State-wise statistics indicate that Uttar Pradesh leads in ABHA registrations with over 153 million accounts, followed by Rajasthan and Maharashtra, each with more than 70 million accounts. Bihar and West Bengal have tallied 63 million and 59 million accounts, respectively. Other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka also contribute significantly to these numbers.
Several states and Union Territories have nearly achieved universal ABHA coverage relative to their populations. Andhra Pradesh reports 98.5% saturation, while Odisha (91.9%), Chandigarh (90.8%), Rajasthan (89.7%), Himachal Pradesh (88.9%), and Chhattisgarh (86.6%) also show high levels of coverage. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu have reached complete saturation.
The digital health initiative has also demonstrated strong engagement from women, who constitute 49.75% of all ABHA holders, suggesting that nearly half of India’s digital health identities have been established by women.
Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO of the National Health Authority, remarked that the creation of over 900 million ABHAs reflects increased participation from citizens, states, and health ecosystem partners. He emphasized that ABHA facilitates secure, consent-based access to health information, reducing dependence on physical records, while enhancing continuity of care and transparency within healthcare delivery.
