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.

The United States has the highest expenditure on health care per capita globally. However, the U.S. has an unique way of paying for their health care where a majority of the expenditure falls upon private insurances. In FY 2024, around one ***** of all health expenditure is paid by private insurance. Public insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid accounted for ** and ** percent, respectively, of health expenditure during that same year. U.S. health care system Globally health spending has been increasing among most countries. However, the U.S. has the highest public and private per capita health expenditure among all countries globally, followed by Switzerland. As of 2020, annual health care costs per capita in the United States totaled to over ** thousand U.S. dollars, a significant amount considering the average U.S. personal income is around ** thousand dollars. Out of pocket costs in the U.S. Aside from overall high health care costs for U.S. residents, the total out-of-pocket costs for health care have been on the rise. In recent years, the average per capita out-of-pocket health care payments have exceeded *** thousand dollars. Physician services, dental services and prescription drugs account for the largest proportion of out-of-pocket expenditures for U.S. residents.

Graph and download economic data for Health Expenditures per Capita (HLTHSCPCHCSA) from 2000 to 2021 about healthcare, health, expenditures, per capita, and USA.

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 ****** 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 **** 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 **** trillion dollars. Expenditure as a percentage of GDP is projected to increase to approximately ** 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 *** third of all health spending. Hospital care was followed by spending on physician and clinical services which accounted for ** percent of overall health expenditure.

In 2022, U.S. out-of-pocket health care payments was reported to come to an average of ******* U.S. dollars per capita. In the U.S., especially out-of-pocket payments for prescribed drugs can be very high. This statistic depicts the per capita out-of-pocket health care payments in the United States from 1970 to 2022.

United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data was reported at 0.781 % in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.856 % for 2012. United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.880 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2013, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.078 % in 2000 and a record low of 0.724 % in 2008. United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 25% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Poverty. Proportion of population spending more than 25% of household consumption or income on out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed as a percentage of a total population of a country; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on catastrophic health spending: results for 133 countries. A retrospective observational study, Lancet Global Health 2017.; Weighted Average;

The public and private per capita health expenditure differs significantly by country. As of 2023, the United States had by far the highest public per capita spending worldwide. Moreover, the U.S. had the second-highest private expenditure on health globally just after Switzerland. Health expenditures globally Health expenditures include the consumption of health goods, services and public health programs as well as insurance and government spending. Globally, health expenditures are on the rise. Among all countries the average per capita health expenditure is projected to see an increase of over 30 percent from the 2019 totals by the year 2050. Despite the growing expenditures, there are still countries with relatively low health expenditures. The countries with the lowest governmental health expenditure include South Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh. Health expenditures spotlight: the U.S. In 2021 the U.S. national health expenditure was at an all-time high. However, the projections indicate that total health expenditures will increase even more. The per capita health expenditures for the U.S. looked equally grim, with 2021 projected to be the most expensive year for health care on record. Despite having seen a significant increase in the total cost of health care in the U.S., trends indicate that the annual percentage change in health expenditures is decreasing over time.

Health expenditure per capita of United States of America increased by 3.63% from 11,999 US dollars in 2021 to 12,434 US dollars in 2022. Since the 3.08% rise in 2012, health expenditure per capita shot up by 50.50% in 2022. Current expenditures on health per capita in current US dollars. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year.

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.

12,434 (US dollars) in 2022. Current expenditures on health per capita in current US dollars. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year.

United States US: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data was reported at 1,848,000.000 Person in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,986,000.000 Person for 2012. United States US: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data is updated yearly, averaging 2,141,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2013, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,810,000.000 Person in 1996 and a record low of 1,604,000.000 Person in 2011. United States US: Number of People Pushed Below the 50% Median Consumption Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Poverty. Number of people pushed below the 50% median consumption poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on Impoverishing Health Spending: Results for 122 Countries. A Retrospective Observational Study, Lancet Global Health 2017; Sum;

United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data was reported at 4.773 % in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.995 % for 2012. United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data is updated yearly, averaging 5.621 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2013, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.918 % in 1998 and a record low of 4.559 % in 2008. United States US: Proportion of Population Spending More Than 10% of Household Consumption or Income on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Proportion of population spending more than 10% of household consumption or income on out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed as a percentage of a total population of a country; ; Wagstaff et al. Progress on catastrophic health spending: results for 133 countries. A retrospective observational study, Lancet Global Health 2017.; Weighted average;

This statistic shows a forecast of the national health expenditure in the United States, per capita, from 2023 to 2032. In 2032, the national health expenditure per capita is expected to exceed **** thousand U.S. dollars for the first time.

Average healthcare expenditure per person in the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Healthcare by Age: from Age 25 to 34 (CXUHEALTHLB0403M) from 1984 to 2023 about healthcare, age, 25 years +, health, expenditures, and USA.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Healthcare by Size of Consumer Unit: One Person Consumer Unit (CXUHEALTHLB0502M) from 1984 to 2023 about consumer unit, healthcare, health, expenditures, personal, and USA.

In 2024, total expenditure on health care in Chile amounted to ******* U.S. dollars per person, the highest among selected countries in Latin America. Colombia ranked second, with a health expenditure per capita of around ******* U.S. dollars, while in Mexico, approximately ******* U.S. dollars per person were spent for health care. That year, Chile's spending on health represented nine percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The United States health and medical insurance market size was valued at USD 1.5 million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 2.3 million by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of over 6.00% during the forecast period. The market's growth is attributed to factors such as the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, rising healthcare costs, and government initiatives to expand health insurance coverage. Key drivers of the market include the aging population, increasing healthcare costs, and technological advancements in the healthcare industry. The growing adoption of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and managed care plans is also expected to drive the market's growth. However, factors such as the high cost of health insurance premiums and the increasing number of uninsured individuals may restrain the market's growth. The market is segmented based on procurement type, products and services offered, place of purchase, and region. The employer-based insurance segment holds the largest market share due to the rising costs of healthcare and the increasing number of employees opting for employer-sponsored health plans. The pharmacy benefit management segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the rising demand for prescription drugs. Recent developments include: January 2024: HCSC entered into a binding contract with The Cigna Group to purchase its Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplemental Benefits, Medicare Part D, and CareAllies businesses. This acquisition will bring significant advantages to HCSC's existing and prospective members, as it will strengthen the company's capabilities and expand its presence, especially in the expanding Medicare sector., January 2024: Elevance Health announced its plans to acquire Paragon Healthcare Inc., a well-known company specializing in delivering vital infusible and injectable therapies that enhance and preserve lives.. Key drivers for this market are: Government Subsidized Health Insurance Schemes is Boosting the Sales of Health and Medical Insurance Policies, Aging Population in United States and increasing Healthcare Costs. Potential restraints include: Government Subsidized Health Insurance Schemes is Boosting the Sales of Health and Medical Insurance Policies, Aging Population in United States and increasing Healthcare Costs. Notable trends are: The Online Channel is Expected to Witness New Growth Avenues in the Coming Future.

Final regression results, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services state resident healthcare expenditure, 1992–2009.