In 2023, U.S. national health expenditure as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP) reached 17.6 percent, this was an increase 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.

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 ** 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 ** 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.

In 2023, Denmark spent 9.4 percent of its GDP on healthcare, a slight decrease from the previous year. The share was relatively stable during the past decade, but rose to an estimated 10.7 percent of GDP in 2020.

Kyrgyzstan KG: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 8.218 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.313 % for 2014. Kyrgyzstan KG: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 7.030 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.535 % in 2012 and a record low of 4.277 % in 2001. Kyrgyzstan KG: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kyrgyzstan – Table KG.World Bank: Health Statistics. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 5.653 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.783 % for 2014. Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 5.238 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.478 % in 2012 and a record low of 4.113 % in 2002. Vietnam VN: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP 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. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted average;

Portugal PT: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 8.972 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.022 % for 2014. Portugal PT: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 9.113 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.879 % in 2009 and a record low of 8.375 % in 2000. Portugal PT: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Portugal – Table PT.World Bank: Health Statistics. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

Venezuela VE: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 3.161 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.629 % for 2014. Venezuela VE: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 4.399 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.124 % in 2009 and a record low of 3.161 % in 2015. Venezuela VE: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Venezuela – Table VE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

The dataset contains a summary of government spending on healthcare, presented as a share of a country's GDP in selected years. Data are presented for the years 1880–2020, in 10-year intervals (i.e. in 1880, 1890, 1900, …, 2010, 2020). The aim of the summary was to present changes in the approach of governments of selected countries in Europe (including Poland), the USA, China andIndia over the 140 years studied.

Saudi Arabia SA: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 5.833 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.099 % for 2014. Saudi Arabia SA: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 3.966 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.833 % in 2015 and a record low of 2.870 % in 2008. Saudi Arabia SA: Current Health Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.; ; World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure database (http://apps.who.int/nha/database).; Weighted Average;

Health expenditure as a share of GDP of Japan climb by 2.07% from 11.2 % in 2021 to 11.4 % in 2022. Since the 0.02% decrease in 2017, health expenditure as a share of GDP jumped by 7.18% in 2022. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.

Since the 1980s, Portugal has been progressively allocating more of its gross domestic product (GDP) to health services. The total expenditure on the health sector amounted to 10.2 percent of the GDP in 2024. This was an increase from the previous year, but a decrease from 2021, when the share of GDP spent on health in Portugal was the highest, at 11.1 percent. Public health and household expenditures in Portugal Even though Portugal invested less of its GDP on healthcare in 2023 than in previous moments, that year had the highest overall expenditure on the sector. In total, the country spent 26.5 billion euros on health. Except for 2012 and 2013, healthcare provider expenditure has continuously increased in Portugal. Similarly, the spending per capita has risen every year and amounted to 2,574 euros in 2023. The health expenses of households have followed the same trend, excluding in 2020, when spending decreased. In 2023, families used over 7.9 billion euros on health expenses. Health infrastructure and workforce in Portugal The Portuguese healthcare system counted with 242 hospitals in 2023, 183 of which were dedicated to general medicine. In terms of specialized hospitals, psychiatry had the highest number of medical practices, namely 23, followed by clinics for the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Portugal’s volume of physicians equaled 25,000 in the same year, with the northern region having the highest number of medical doctors. The over 9,400 physicians in the north of the country were accompanied by more than 7,000 in Greater Lisbon.

Health expenditure as a share of GDP of Sudan soared by 63.13% from 2.8 % in 2021 to 4.6 % in 2022. Since the 34.16% slump in 2020, health expenditure as a share of GDP rocketed by 53.46% in 2022. Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.

Healthcare spending in the United Kingdom (UK) as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) has increased since 1990, when it was 5.1 percent. By 2023, healthcare expenditure in the UK amounted 10.9 percent of the GDP. Health expenditure in the UK compared to Europe  In comparison to other European countries in 2022, the UK ranked fifth highest in terms of healthcare spending as a share of the GDP. Top of the list was Germany, which spent 12.7 percent of its GDP on healthcare in this year. This was followed by France and Austria, which spent 11.9 percent and 11.4 percent on health, respectively. Performance of the NHS in the UK  Individuals in the UK still regard the NHS as a world class health service and remain happy with the high level of care provided by the organization. Although waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.   

The global current health expenditure as a share of the GDP in was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *** percentage points. After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the share is estimated to reach **** 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 *** 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.

Health care spending in Turkey as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to **** percent in 2022, which was the lowest figure recorded throughout the observed period. In the years 2007 to 2009, health care spending peaked at *** percent of GDP in Turkey but has fallen since then.

Health expenditure compared to Europe 

In comparison to other European countries in 2022, Turkey was at the bottom of the ranking in terms of health care spending as a share of the GDP. Top of the list was Germany, which spent **** percent of its’ GDP on health care in this year. While France and the United Kingdom both spent about ** percent on health. 

Interactions with the health system in Turkey

In 2022, roughly *** in ten individuals had visited a general practitioner in the past 12 months, women were more likely than men to do so. Furthermore, a 2023 study found that ** percent of those surveyed rated the quality of health care in Turkey as good, compared to ** percent who rated it as poor. 

Per capita national health expenditures in the United States have increased significantly since 1960. In 2023, national health expenditures amounted to **** thousand U.S. dollars per capita. For comparison, in 1960, per capital expenditures for health stood at *** U.S. dollars. According to recent data, the U.S. has some of the highest health care costs in the world. Health care expenditures With increased per capita health expenditures, U.S. health care expenditures as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) have also increased over the decades. Among developed countries, the U.S. has the highest health expenditure as a proportion of the GDP. The high level of health costs in the U.S. may be attributable to high costs for prescribed drugs and health services as well as high administrative costs. Cost areas A large proportion of all health care spending in the U.S. is attributable to hospital care and physician and clinical services. In recent years, many sectors have seen an increase in health care spending. However, data suggests that prescription drugs have seen some of the most dramatic increases in spending in recent years. The annual prescription drug expenditures in the U.S. reached an all-time high by the end of 2022.

In 2021, spending on health represented approximately *** percent of Peru's gross domestic product (GDP). During the decade analyzed, healthcare expenditure as share of GDP in the South American country remained relatively stable, ranging from **** to *** percent. In comparison, that year Cuba's healthcare spending corresponded to ** percent of its GDP, the highest value reported among Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Over the period from 2005 to 2023, health expenditure as share of GDP in Italy fluctuated between *** percent and *** percent. More specifically, it increased between 2005 and 2009, before gradually decreasing. In 2020, the total healthcare expenditure (public, private, and out-of-pocket) peaked at *** percent of the country's gross domestic product, also as a result of the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the total health expenditure as a share of GDP in Italy was *** percent.    European framework The Italian share was lower the European average, which was equal to **** percent in 2020. Moreover, some of the major European economies such as France and Germany, addressed a much higher share of the GDP to healthcare. As a matter of fact, in 2023, France and Germany spent **** and **** percent of their GDP on health respectively. Private healthcare spending In the last few years, conversely with the decrease of public healthcare resources, the private spending on health increased. The private health expenditure peaked at **** billion euros in 2022. Specialist examinations and dental checks were the most burdening headings for Italians in terms of private healthcare costs.

In Greece, the total expenditure on health as a share has fluctuated in the provided time interval, peaking at *** percent in 2010 and 2020. In 2022, Greece spent about *** percent of its GDP on healthcare. This statistic displays the total expenditure on health as a share of GDP (gross domestic product) in Greece from 1990 to 2022.

The expenditure on health in Sweden as a share of the gross domestic product has been at a higher level since 2011 than what it used to be the previous years. The share of gross domestic product spent on health fluctuated since 2011 and peaked in 2020 when it reached **** percent before it started to decrease again, reaching **** percent in 2023.

Fifth-highest share among the other OECD countries In comparison with the other OECD member countries in 2023, Sweden had the **** highest expenditure on health as a share of the country’s gross domestic product. The United States had the highest share, reaching **** percent of their gross domestic product, followed by France, Germany and Switzerland. Health expenditure per capita The per capita expenditure on health in Sweden increased annually during the period from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the amount was estimated to be over ** thousand Swedish kronor per capita.