Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP) 2019

Current health expenditure as a percentage of GDP highlights spending trends. Compare countries, explore rankings, and view historical data.

185 data points•Updated 3/28/2026•Global Coverage•CIA World Factbook•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	United States	17.1 % of GDP
2	Sierra Leone	16.5 % of GDP
3	Tuvalu	15.5 % of GDP
4	Cuba	12.2 % of GDP
5	Switzerland	12.2 % of GDP
6	Kiribati	11.9 % of GDP
7	Brazil	11.8 % of GDP
8	France	11.5 % of GDP
9	Germany	11.1 % of GDP
10	Nauru	11.1 % of GDP
11	Japan	10.9 % of GDP
12	Sweden	10.9 % of GDP
13	Maldives	10.6 % of GDP
14	Canada	10.5 % of GDP
15	Norway	10.5 % of GDP
16	Andorra	10.4 % of GDP
17	Austria	10.4 % of GDP
18	Denmark	10.4 % of GDP
19	Netherlands	10.4 % of GDP
20	Afghanistan	10.2 % of GDP
21	Belgium	10 % of GDP
22	Malawi	9.8 % of GDP
23	United Kingdom	9.8 % of GDP
24	Liberia	9.6 % of GDP
25	Finland	9.5 % of GDP
26	Zimbabwe	9.4 % of GDP
27	Australia	9.3 % of GDP
28	Malta	9.3 % of GDP
29	Bosnia and Herzegovina	9.2 % of GDP
30	New Zealand	9.2 % of GDP
31	Portugal	9.1 % of GDP
32	Serbia	9.1 % of GDP
33	Uruguay	9.1 % of GDP
34	Namibia	9.1 % of GDP
35	Republic of Moldova	9 % of GDP
36	Spain	9 % of GDP
37	Italy	8.9 % of GDP
38	Nicaragua	8.7 % of GDP
39	Chile	8.5 % of GDP
40	Greece	8.5 % of GDP
41	Slovenia	8.5 % of GDP
42	Ecuador	8.4 % of GDP
43	Georgia	8.4 % of GDP
44	Honduras	8.4 % of GDP
45	Iceland	8.3 % of GDP
46	Bulgaria	8.2 % of GDP
47	Iran	8.1 % of GDP
48	Lesotho	8.1 % of GDP
49	South Africa	8.1 % of GDP
50	Lebanon	8 % of GDP
51	Paraguay	8 % of GDP
52	Eswatini	7.7 % of GDP
53	Comoros	7.6 % of GDP
54	Costa Rica	7.6 % of GDP
55	Montenegro	7.6 % of GDP
56	Argentina	7.5 % of GDP
57	Ireland	7.4 % of GDP
58	Hungary	7.4 % of GDP
59	Israel	7.3 % of GDP
60	South Korea	7.3 % of GDP
61	Panama	7.3 % of GDP
62	Croatia	7.2 % of GDP
63	Czech Republic	7.1 % of GDP
64	Slovakia	7.1 % of GDP
65	Barbados	7 % of GDP
66	El Salvador	7 % of GDP
67	Tajikistan	7 % of GDP
68	Tunisia	7 % of GDP
69	Azerbaijan	6.9 % of GDP
70	Bolivia	6.9 % of GDP
71	Cyprus	6.9 % of GDP
72	Rwanda	6.8 % of GDP
73	Burkina Faso	6.8 % of GDP
74	Albania	6.7 % of GDP
75	Estonia	6.7 % of GDP
76	Lithuania	6.7 % of GDP
77	Ukraine	6.7 % of GDP
78	Algeria	6.6 % of GDP
79	Kyrgyzstan	6.6 % of GDP
80	Togo	6.6 % of GDP
81	Turkmenistan	6.6 % of GDP
82	Poland	6.5 % of GDP
83	Trinidad and Tobago	6.5 % of GDP
84	Bahamas	6.4 % of GDP
85	San Marino	6.4 % of GDP
86	Belarus	6.3 % of GDP
87	North Macedonia	6.3 % of GDP
88	Niue	6.3 % of GDP
89	Nepal	6.3 % of GDP
90	Uzbekistan	6.3 % of GDP
91	Burundi	6.2 % of GDP
92	Dominican Republic	6.2 % of GDP
93	Latvia	6.2 % of GDP
94	Luxembourg	6.2 % of GDP
95	Niger	6.2 % of GDP
96	Uganda	6.2 % of GDP
97	Belize	6.1 % of GDP
98	Cambodia	6.1 % of GDP
99	Jamaica	6.1 % of GDP
100	Suriname	6.1 % of GDP
101	Guinea-Bissau	6.1 % of GDP
102	Madagascar	6 % of GDP
103	Sao Tome and Principe	6 % of GDP
104	Colombia	5.9 % of GDP
105	Guatemala	5.8 % of GDP
106	Morocco	5.8 % of GDP
107	Mauritius	5.7 % of GDP
108	Saudi Arabia	5.7 % of GDP
109	Saint Kitts and Nevis	5.7 % of GDP
110	Vietnam	5.7 % of GDP
111	Yemen	5.6 % of GDP
112	Botswana	5.5 % of GDP
113	Guinea	5.5 % of GDP
114	Jordan	5.5 % of GDP
115	Mexico	5.5 % of GDP
116	Senegal	5.5 % of GDP
117	Samoa	5.5 % of GDP
118	Haiti	5.4 % of GDP
119	Dominica	5.3 % of GDP
120	Russia	5.3 % of GDP
121	Saint Lucia	5.3 % of GDP
122	Tonga	5.3 % of GDP
123	Solomon Islands	5.2 % of GDP
124	Cabo Verde	5.2 % of GDP
125	Grenada	5.2 % of GDP
126	Myanmar	5.1 % of GDP
127	Mozambique	5.1 % of GDP
128	Peru	5.1 % of GDP
129	China	5 % of GDP
130	Romania	5 % of GDP
131	Bahrain	4.9 % of GDP
132	Cameroon	4.7 % of GDP
133	Congo	4.6 % of GDP
134	Egypt	4.6 % of GDP
135	Chad	4.5 % of GDP
136	Kenya	4.5 % of GDP
137	Zambia	4.5 % of GDP
138	Gambia	4.4 % of GDP
139	Ghana	4.4 % of GDP
140	Côte d'Ivoire	4.4 % of GDP
141	Philippines	4.4 % of GDP
142	Antigua and Barbuda	4.3 % of GDP
143	Central African Republic	4.3 % of GDP
144	Oman	4.3 % of GDP
145	Singapore	4.3 % of GDP
146	Turkey	4.3 % of GDP
147	Guyana	4.2 % of GDP
148	Mauritania	4.2 % of GDP
149	Tanzania	4.1 % of GDP
150	Ethiopia	4 % of GDP
151	Timor-Leste	4 % of GDP
152	Benin	3.9 % of GDP
153	Sri Lanka	3.9 % of GDP
154	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	3.9 % of GDP
155	Kuwait	3.9 % of GDP
156	Seychelles	3.9 % of GDP
157	Mongolia	3.8 % of GDP
158	Mali	3.8 % of GDP
159	Malaysia	3.8 % of GDP
160	India	3.7 % of GDP
161	Vanuatu	3.7 % of GDP
162	Thailand	3.7 % of GDP
163	Nigeria	3.6 % of GDP
164	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	3.6 % of GDP
165	United Arab Emirates	3.5 % of GDP
166	Bhutan	3.5 % of GDP
167	Djibouti	3.5 % of GDP
168	Fiji	3.5 % of GDP
169	Kazakhstan	3.5 % of GDP
170	Equatorial Guinea	3.4 % of GDP
171	Iraq	3.3 % of GDP
172	Venezuela	3.2 % of GDP
173	Gabon	3.1 % of GDP
174	Indonesia	3.1 % of GDP
175	Qatar	3.1 % of GDP
176	Eritrea	3 % of GDP
177	Angola	2.9 % of GDP
178	Pakistan	2.8 % of GDP
179	Cook Islands	2.7 % of GDP
180	South Sudan	2.5 % of GDP
181	Bangladesh	2.4 % of GDP
182	Laos	2.4 % of GDP
183	Brunei Darussalam	2.3 % of GDP
184	Papua New Guinea	2 % of GDP
185	Monaco	1.7 % of GDP

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 2019, the country with the highest Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP) was the United States, with a value of 17.1%, while the global range spanned from 1.7% in Monaco to 17.1% in the U.S. The global average for this metric was 6.53%, providing a benchmark against which individual country expenditures can be evaluated.

Understanding High Health Expenditure in Certain Nations

The significant expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP in countries like the United States (17.1%), Sierra Leone (16.5%), and Tuvalu (15.5%) is largely driven by a combination of factors such as healthcare system structure, economic priorities, and demographic needs. The U.S., for instance, is characterized by high healthcare costs due to advanced medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, a predominantly private healthcare system, and high administrative costs. In contrast, countries like Sierra Leone and Tuvalu might reflect high health expenditures as a percentage of GDP due to limited economic output rather than absolute spending, indicating a substantial portion of their national budget is allocated to health to address public health challenges.

Economic and Policy Influences on Health Spending

Countries such as Switzerland and Cuba both reported a health expenditure of 12.2% of GDP. This is indicative of their strong commitment to universal healthcare systems. In Switzerland, the high expenditure is a result of a highly developed healthcare system with comprehensive services. Cuba, despite having a lower GDP per capita, prioritizes health as a national policy, reflecting its longstanding focus on healthcare accessibility and public health initiatives. These expenditures highlight how strategic policy decisions can influence health spending irrespective of a country's economic status.

Low Health Expenditure and Its Implications

At the other end of the spectrum, countries like Monaco (1.7%), Papua New Guinea (2%), and Brunei Darussalam (2.3%) exhibit low health expenditures as a percentage of GDP. For Monaco, the low percentage may be a reflection of its high GDP, where absolute health spending remains significant but constitutes a smaller fraction of the total economic output. In contrast, Papua New Guinea and Brunei might reflect lower absolute health spending due to budgetary constraints or different policy priorities, which could impact healthcare quality and accessibility.

Global Trends and Regional Disparities

The median value of 6.2% highlights the central tendency of health expenditure across the 185 countries analyzed, indicating a moderate level of investment in health relative to GDP. Countries like France (11.5%) and Germany (11.1%) reflect higher than average spending, consistent with their robust healthcare systems and aging populations, which necessitate more extensive healthcare services. These figures reveal a pattern where developed nations typically allocate more resources to health, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP, compared to developing nations.

Overall, the data from 2019 underscores the diverse approaches and priorities countries have regarding health spending, influenced by economic capabilities, policy decisions, and demographic needs. Understanding these expenditures is crucial for assessing how effectively nations are responding to their populations' health needs and preparing for future challenges.

Data Source

CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, was a reference resource produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency between 1962 and 2026 with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. From 1971 it was not classified, and available to the public in print since 1975, initially by the CIA, and later the Government Publishing Office.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP) data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

2021 2020 2019

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