Among OECD member countries, the United States had the highest percentage of gross domestic product spent on health care as of 2023. The U.S. spent nearly 16 percent of its GDP on health care services. Germany, France and Japan followed the U.S. with distinctly smaller percentages. The United States had both significantly higher private and public spending on health compared with other developed countries. Why compare OECD countries?OECD stands for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is an economic organization consisting of 38 members, mostly high-income countries and committed to democratic principles and market economy. This makes OECD statistics more comparable than statistics of developed and undeveloped countries. Health economics is an important matter for the OECD, even more since increasing health costs and an aging population have become an issue for many developed countries. Health costs in the U.S.  A higher GDP share spent on health care does not automatically lead to a better functioning health system. In the case of the U.S., high spending is mainly because of higher costs and prices, not due to higher utilization. For example, physicians’ salaries are much higher in the U.S. than in other comparable countries. A doctor in the U.S. earns almost twice as much as the average physician in Germany. Pharmaceutical spending per capita is also distinctly higher in the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. also spends more on health administrative costs compare to other wealthy countries.

International Data & Economic Analysis (IDEA) is USAID's comprehensive source of economic and social data and analysis. IDEA brings together over 12,000 data series from over 125 sources into one location for easy access by USAID and its partners through the USAID public website. The data are broken down by countries, years and the following sectors: Economy, Country Ratings and Rankings, Trade, Development Assistance, Education, Health, Population, and Natural Resources. IDEA regularly updates the database as new data become available. Examples of IDEA sources include the Demographic and Health Surveys, STATcompiler; UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Food Price Index; IMF, Direction of Trade Statistics; Millennium Challenge Corporation; and World Bank, World Development Indicators. The database can be queried by navigating to the site displayed in the Home Page field below.

Singapore led the Index of Economic Freedom in 2024, with an index score of 83.5 out of 100. Switzerland, Ireland, Taiwan, and Luxembourg rounded out the top five. Economic Freedom Index In order to calculate the Economic Freedom Index, the source takes 12 different factors into account, including the rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency, and open markets. All 12 factors are rated on a scale of zero to 100 and are weighted equally. Every country is rated within the Index in order to provide insight into the health and freedom of the global economy. Singapore's economy Singapore is one of the four so-called Asian Tigers, a term used to describe four countries in Asia that saw a booming economic development from the 1950s to the early 1990. Today, the City-State is known for its many skyscrapers, and its economy continue to boom. It has one of the lowest tax-rates in the Asia-Pacific region, and continues to be open towards foreign direct investment (FDI). Moreover, Singapore has one of the highest trade-to-GDP ratios worldwide, underlining its export-oriented economy. Finally, its geographic location has given it a strategic position as a center connecting other countries in the region with the outside world. However, the economic boom has come at a cost, with the city now ranked among the world's most expensive.

The global current health expenditure as a share of the GDP in was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.2 percentage points. After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the share is estimated to reach 6.31 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. According to Worldbank health spending includes expenditures with regards to healthcare services and goods. It is depicted here in relation to the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the current health expenditure as a share of the GDP in countries like North America and the Americas.

The statistic shows global gross domestic product (GDP) from 1985 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2020, global GDP amounted to about 85.52 trillion U.S. dollars, two and a half trillion lower than in 2019. Gross domestic product Gross domestic product, also known as GDP, is the accumulated value of all finished goods and services produced in a country, often measured annually. GDP is significant in determining the economic health, growth and productivity in the country, and is a stat often used when comparing several countries at a time, most likely in order to determine which country has seen the most progress. Until 2020, Global GDP had experienced a growth every year since 2010. However, a strong growth rate does not necessarily lead to all positive outcomes and often has a negative effect on inflation rates. A severe growth in GDP leads to lower unemployment, however lower unemployment often leads to higher inflation rates due to demand increasing at a much higher rate than supply and as a result prices rise accordingly. In terms of unemployment, growth had been fairly stagnant since the economic downturn of 2007-2009, but it remains to be seen what the total impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be on total employment.

Laos LA: External Health Expenditure: % of Current Health Expenditure data was reported at 16.962 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.789 % for 2014. Laos LA: External Health Expenditure: % of Current Health Expenditure data is updated yearly, averaging 17.517 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27.605 % in 2011 and a record low of 9.305 % in 2001. Laos LA: External Health Expenditure: % of Current Health Expenditure data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Share of current health expenditures funded from external sources. External sources compose of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country. External sources either flow through the government scheme or are channeled through non-governmental organizations or other schemes.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

This dataset contains perceived health status statistics for countries members of OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and countries in accession negotiations with OECD. The perceived health status data cover periods from 1980 to 2015.

In the majority of the surveyed countries, the respondents were in favor of encorporating health, social and environmental statistics to already existing economic statistics while measuring the progress and development of a country. In the United States, 36 percent of the respondents answered that the country growth should only be assessed using economic measures in the 2020 survey.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Health Statistics offers the most comprehensive source of comparable statistics on health and health systems across OECD countries. It is an essential tool for health researchers and policy advisors in governments, the private sector and the academic community, to carry out comparative analyses and draw lessons from international comparisons of diverse health care systems. Within UKDS.Stat the data are presented in the following databases: Health status This datasets presents internationally comparable statistics on morbidity and mortality with variables such as life expectancy, causes of mortality, maternal and infant mortality, potential years of life lost, perceived health status, infant health, dental health, communicable diseases, cancer, injuries, absence from work due to illness. The annual data begins in 2000. Non-medical determinants of health This dataset examines the non-medical determinants of health by comparing food, alcohol, tobacco consumption and body weight amongst countries. The data are expressed in different measures such as calories, grammes, kilo, gender, population. The data begins in 1960. Healthcare resources This dataset includes comparative tables analyzing various health care resources such as total health and social employment, physicians by age, gender, categories, midwives, nurses, caring personnel, personal care workers, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, hospital employment, graduates, remuneration of health professionals, hospitals, hospital beds, medical technology with their respective subsets. The statistics are expressed in different units of measure such as number of persons, salaried, self-employed, per population. The annual data begins in 1960. Healthcare utilisation This dataset includes statistics comparing different countries’ level of health care utilisation in terms of prevention, immunisation, screening, diagnostics exams, consultations, in-patient utilisation, average length of stay, diagnostic categories, acute care, in-patient care, discharge rates, transplants, dialyses, ICD-9-CM. The data is comparable with respect to units of measures such as days, percentages, population, number per capita, procedures, and available beds. Health Care Quality Indicators This dataset includes comparative tables analyzing various health care quality indicators such as cancer care, care for acute exacerbation of chronic conditions, care for chronic conditions and care for mental disorders. The annual data begins in 1995. Pharmaceutical market This dataset focuses on the pharmaceutical market comparing countries in terms of pharmaceutical consumption, drugs, pharmaceutical sales, pharmaceutical market, revenues, statistics. The annual data begins in 1960. Long-term care resources and utilisation This dataset provides statistics comparing long-term care resources and utilisation by country in terms of workers, beds in nursing and residential care facilities and care recipients. In this table data is expressed in different measures such as gender, age and population. The annual data begins in 1960. Health expenditure and financing This dataset compares countries in terms of their current and total expenditures on health by comparing how they allocate their budget with respect to different health care functions while looking at different financing agents and providers. The data covers the years starting from 1960 extending until 2010. The countries covered are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States. Social protection This dataset introduces the different health care coverage systems such as the government/social health insurance and private health insurance. The statistics are expressed in percentage of the population covered or number of persons. The annual data begins in 1960. Demographic references This dataset provides statistics regarding general demographic references in terms of population, age structure, gender, but also in term of labour force. The annual data begins in 1960. Economic references This dataset presents main economic indicators such as GDP and Purchasing power parities (PPP) and compares countries in terms of those macroeconomic references as well as currency rates, average annual wages. The annual data begins in 1960. These data were first provided by the UK Data Service in November 2014.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated current health expenditure share of GDP in 2020 in Europe, differentiated by country. The ratio refers to the share of total gross domestic product (GDP).The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2022, U.S. national health expenditure as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP) reached 17.3 percent, this was a decrease on the previous year. The United States has the highest health spending based on GDP share among developed countries. Both public and private health spending in the U.S. is much higher than other developed countries. Why the U.S. pays so much moreWhile private health spending in Canada stays at around three percent and in Germany under two percent of the gross domestic product, it is nearly nine percent in the United States. Another reason for high costs can be found in physicians’ salaries, which are much higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries. A general practitioner in the U.S. earns nearly twice as much as the average physician in other high-income countries. Additionally, medicine spending per capita is also significantly higher in the United States. Finally, inflated health care administration costs are another of the predominant factors which make health care spending in the U.S. out of proportion. It is important to state that Americans do not pay more because they have a higher health care utilization, but mainly because of higher prices. Expected developmentsBy 2031, it is expected that health care spending in the U.S. will reach nearly one fifth of the nation’s gross domestic product. Or in dollar-terms, health care expenditures will accumulate to about seven trillion U.S. dollars in total.

BO: Prevalence of HIV: Female: % Aged 15-24 data was reported at 0.100 % in 2022. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.100 % for 2021. BO: Prevalence of HIV: Female: % Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.100 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2022, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.100 % in 2022 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2022. BO: Prevalence of HIV: Female: % Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Prevalence of HIV, female is the percentage of females who are infected with HIV. Youth rates are as a percentage of the relevant age group.;UNAIDS estimates.;Weighted average;In many developing countries most new infections occur in young adults, with young women especially vulnerable.

Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data was reported at 0.000 USD mn in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.000 USD mn for 2014. Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 USD mn from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 USD mn in 2013 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 2000. Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vietnam – Table VN.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Current expenditures on health per capita in current US dollars. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted average;

By the year 2030, it is projected that China will eclipse the United States and have the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world, at 31.7 trillion U.S. dollars. The United States is projected to have the second largest GDP, at 22.9 trillion U.S. dollars.

What is gross domestic product?

Gross domestic product, or GDP, is an economic measure of a country’s production in time. It includes all goods and services produced by a country and is used by economists to determine the health of a country’s economy. However, since GDP just shows the size of an economy and is not adjusted for the country’s size, this can make direct country comparisons complicated.

The growth of the global economy

Currently, the United States has the largest GDP in the world, at 20.5 trillion U.S. dollars. China has the second largest GDP, at 13.4 trillion U.S. dollars. In the coming years, production will become faster and more global, which will help to grow the global economy.

Mali ML: External Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data was reported at 0.000 USD mn in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.000 USD mn for 2014. Mali ML: External Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 USD mn from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 USD mn in 2014 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 2001. Mali ML: External Health Expenditure Per Capita: Current Price data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank: Health Statistics. Current external expenditures on health per capita expressed in current US dollars. External sources are composed of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

World Health Survey country groupings by World Bank economic categories.

In 2023, Singapore dominated the ranking of the world's health and health systems, followed by Japan and South Korea. The health index score is calculated by evaluating various indicators that assess the health of the population, and access to the services required to sustain good health, including health outcomes, health systems, sickness and risk factors, and mortality rates. The health and health system index score of the top ten countries with the best healthcare system in the world ranged between 82 and 86.9, measured on a scale of zero to 100.

Global Health Security Index  Numerous health and health system indexes have been developed to assess various attributes and aspects of a nation's healthcare system. One such measure is the Global Health Security (GHS) index. This index evaluates the ability of 195 nations to identify, assess, and mitigate biological hazards in addition to political and socioeconomic concerns, the quality of their healthcare systems, and their compliance with international finance and standards. In 2021, the United States was ranked at the top of the GHS index, but due to multiple reasons, the U.S. government failed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The GHS Index evaluates capability and identifies preparation gaps; nevertheless, it cannot predict a nation's resource allocation in case of a public health emergency.

Universal Health Coverage Index  Another health index that is used globally by the members of the United Nations (UN) is the universal health care (UHC) service coverage index. The UHC index monitors the country's progress related to the sustainable developmental goal (SDG) number three. The UHC service coverage index tracks 14 indicators related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, service capacity, and access to care. The main target of universal health coverage is to ensure that no one is denied access to essential medical services due to financial hardships. In 2021, the UHC index scores ranged from as low as 21 to a high score of 91 across 194 countries. 

In 2023, the United States had the highest per capita health expenditure among OECD countries. At that time, per capita health expenditure in the U.S. amounted over 13,432 U.S. dollars, significantly higher than in Switzerland, the country with the second-highest per capita health expenditure. Norway, Germany and Austria are also within the top five countries with the highest per capita health expenditure. The United States also spent the highest share of it’s gross domestic product on health care, with 16.5 percent of its GDP spent on health care services. Health Expenditure in the U.S. The United States is the highest spending country worldwide when it comes to health care. In 2022, total health expenditure in the U.S. exceeded four trillion dollars. Expenditure as a percentage of GDP is projected to increase to approximately 20 percent by the year 2031. Distribution of Health Expenditure in the U.S. Health expenditure in the United States is spread out across multiple categories such as nursing home facilities, home health care, and prescription drugs. As of 2022, the majority of health expenditure in the United States was spent on hospital care, accounting for a bit less than one third of all health spending. Hospital care was followed by spending on physician and clinical services which accounted for 20 percent of overall health expenditure.

The average for 2021 based on 181 countries was 1402.97 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in the USA: 12012.24 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Madagascar: 17.64 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 2000 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Objectives: The theory of ecological unequal exchange explains how trade and various forms of economic activity create the problem of environmental degradation, and lead to the deterioration of population health. Based on this theory, our study examined the inter-relationship among economic characteristics, ecological footprints, CO2 emissions, infant mortality rates and under-5 mortality rates in low-income countries. Design: A longitudinal ecological study design. Setting: Sixty-six low-income countries from 1980 to 2010 were included in the analyses. Data for each country represented an average of 23 years (N=1497). Data sources: Data were from the World Development Indicators, UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database, Global Footprint Network and Polity IV Project. Analyses: Linear mixed models with a spatial power covariance structure and a correlation that decreased over time were constructed to accommodate the repeated measures. Statistical analyses were conducted separately by sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and other regions. Results: After controlling for country-level sociodemographic characteristics, debt and manufacturing, economic activities were positively associated with infant mortality rates and under-5 mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. By contrast, export intensity and foreign investment were beneficial for reducing infant and under-5 mortality rates in Latin America and other regions. Although the ecological footprints and CO2 emissions did not mediate the relationship between economic characteristics and health outcomes, export intensity increased CO2 emissions, but reduced the ecological footprints in sub-Saharan Africa. By contrast, in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, although export intensity was positively associated with the ecological footprints and also CO2 emissions, the percentage of exports to high-income countries was negatively associated with the ecological footprints. Conclusions: This study suggested that environmental protection and economic development are important for reducing infant and under-5 mortality rates in low-income countries.