US (2022)
16.5%
% of GDP
Highest in the world
Germany (2022)
12.3%
% of GDP
Highest in EU
China (2022)
5.9%
% of GDP
+1.7pp since 2010
India (2022)
3.4%
% of GDP
Below EM average

Data

YearUSUKGermanyFranceJapanChinaIndiaBrazilS. KoreaAustraliaMexicoTurkey
202411.112.211.58.7
202316.71111.711.510.75.93.39.78.610.45.5
202216.511.112.311.812.35.93.49.48.99.95.7
202117.412.112.712.312.15.33.39.68.310.55.9
202018.512.112.512.111.45.53.39.6810.76.1
201916.51011.411.2115.339.67.710.35.3
201816.59.811.211.310.75.12.99.57.110.15.2
201716.69.71111.510.752.99.56.810.15.3
201616.79.91111.610.74.93.59.26.610.15.4
201516.49.910.911.510.74.93.68.96.510.15.5
201416.11010.811.610.74.73.68.46.29.85.4
2013161010.811.510.74.63.786.18.75.6
201216.19.910.611.310.74.53.37.768.75.4
201116.19.810.511.210.54.33.27.85.98.55.3
201016.29.810.811.29.14.23.37.95.88.45.5
200916.29.81111.394.33.58.45.78.55.8
200815.291010.58.13.83.685.28.25.4
200714.98.89.810.37.83.63.68.258.15.5
200614.78.51010.47.73.93.78.2585.4
200514.68.410.17.74.13.984.785.6

About this Analysis

This page tracks total health expenditure as a share of GDP across 12 major economies, using WHO Global Health Expenditure Database figures published by the World Bank (SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS). The measure covers both public and private spending. The chart shows the group average from 2000 onward. The table shows each economy separately from 2005 to 2022 (the most recently published year for this indicator).

The US stands apart from every other economy in this comparison, spending 16–17% of GDP on health — roughly 4–5 percentage points more than the next-highest peers (Germany, France). Emerging economies in this group typically spend 3–6% of GDP. Contrary to what spending levels might suggest, the US does not lead on outcomes: life expectancy and infant mortality both rank below the EU average, which makes the US a useful case study in the distinction between health spending and health system efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

The US spends roughly 40–60% more on healthcare per capita than the next-highest peer (Germany, Switzerland) due to: administrative complexity from a multi-payer insurance system; higher prices for drugs, devices, and physician services that are not regulated through national price-setting; profit-driven delivery of care by private hospital systems; and higher rates of expensive chronic conditions. Despite this, US health outcomes (life expectancy, infant mortality) are generally worse than peers with lower spending, a gap attributable partly to greater socioeconomic inequality.
Total health expenditure combines government/mandatory schemes (public) and out-of-pocket and voluntary insurance payments (private). The US is an outlier in its private share — approximately 50% of total health spending is private, vs. roughly 20–30% in most European systems. Countries with universal public systems (UK, Germany, Canada) have higher government health shares. High out-of-pocket costs correlate with worse health equity outcomes and delayed care-seeking.
Within a country over time, increasing health investment generally correlates with better outcomes. However, cross-country comparisons show weak correlation beyond a threshold of roughly 8–10% of GDP. Countries like Japan, Australia, and Canada achieve strong health outcomes at moderate spending levels through efficient system design. The US and many middle-income countries show misalignment between spending levels and outcomes, suggesting that how money is spent matters as much as total spending.