India's female workforce doubled to 201 million. Rural women's pay fell from 53% to 45% of men's.
97 million more women are working than in 2017-18, mostly as self-employed or unpaid helpers. The pay gap widened, most sharply in villages.
CapitalVia Research Desk ·
Data explainer · 9 Nov 2026
Health costs vs pay · India 2027
Medical costs will rise 10.1% in 2027. Salaries will rise 9.1%.
Aon's new medical-trend report puts India's healthcare cost growth at 10.1% next year. Aon's own pay survey of 1,200+ employers expects a 9.1% salary increase. For the second year running, the cost of getting treated is outrunning the raise.
10.1%
Projected rise in India's medical costs, 2027 (Aon)
Scroll
Three numbers to hold side by side
Per cent change. Scale 0–12%.
Medical costs, 2027 projection10.1%
Salary increase, 2027 projection9.1%
Retail inflation (CPI), Sept 20265.5%
PunchlinePayContext
Aon's medical trend is the expected rise in the per-unit cost of employer-sponsored medical plans. Aon measures it against a general-inflation assumption of 4.0% for 2027 (IMF, April 2026); India's actual CPI inflation in September 2026 was 5.54%.
The gap is narrowing. It has not closed.
Medical cost growth vs salary increase, India. Scale 0–12%.
2026 · actual
Medical costs11.5%
Salary increase9.0%
Gap: 2.5 points
2027 · projected
Medical costs10.1%
Salary increase9.1%
Gap: 1.0 point
2.5 → 1.0
Percentage points by which medical cost growth beats the average raise. Aon says the slowdown reflects easing cost pressures, "not that total costs are decreasing".
India sits above the world average
Projected medical cost growth in 2027. Scale 0–15%.
Singapore14.7%
India10.1%
Asia-Pacific average9.7%
United States9.5%
Global average9.0%
China6.0%
Japan3.1%
IndiaOther marketsRegional outlier
China (−1.8 pts) and India (−1.4 pts) drive most of the Asia-Pacific slowdown, from 11.3% in 2026 to 9.7% in 2027. Globally the rate eases from 9.8% to 9.0%.
What a 1-point gap does over five years
Illustration only: ₹1,00,000 compounded at each 2027 rate for five years, assuming the rates hold.
A ₹1 lakh medical bill
₹1.62 lakh
at 10.1% a year
₹1,61,784 · estimate
A ₹1 lakh salary
₹1.55 lakh
at 9.1% a year
₹1,54,570 · estimate
How Asia-Pacific employers plan to respond in 2027
95%
wellness programmes
70%
plan-design changes
55%
flexible benefits
Share of employers Aon expects to use each approach to manage medical plan costs (Asia-Pacific). Cardiovascular disease, ENT/lung disorders and cancer remain the leading drivers of claims.
Why it matters
If you are salaried: a 9% raise does not keep pace with a 10% rise in treatment costs. Check whether your employer plan's sum insured has moved since you joined — many have not.
If you run a company: benefits budgets will grow faster than payroll in 2027. Aon finds most employers reaching for wellness programmes and plan redesign before cutting cover.
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