Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure 2014

This metric shows the proportion of a country's total government budget allocated to health services.

193 data pointsโ€ขโ€ขGlobal Coverageโ€ขHealth spending as a share of total government spending | Our World in Dataโ€ข

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
Actions
1
San Marino flag
San Marino
30.791 %
2
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
29.581 %
3
Iran flag
Iran
23.144 %
4
Japan flag
Japan
22.572 %
5
Andorra flag
Andorra
21.672 %
6
United States flag
United States
21.479 %
7
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
19.277 %
8
Canada flag
Canada
18.97 %
9
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
18.821 %
10
Germany flag
Germany
18.728 %
11
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
18.51 %
12
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
18.451 %
13
Panama flag
Panama
18.435 %
14
Cuba flag
Cuba
18.024 %
15
Ireland flag
Ireland
18.022 %
16
Sweden flag
Sweden
17.969 %
17
Australia flag
Australia
17.637 %
18
Monaco flag
Monaco
17.631 %
19
Norway flag
Norway
17.233 %
20
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
16.978 %
21
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
16.912 %
22
Maldives flag
Maldives
16.863 %
23
Argentina flag
Argentina
16.487 %
24
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
16.46 %
25
Colombia flag
Colombia
16.183 %
26
Denmark flag
Denmark
15.806 %
27
Chile flag
Chile
15.693 %
28
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
15.176 %
29
Liechtenstein flag
Liechtenstein
15.123 %
30
Antigua and Barbuda flag
Antigua and Barbuda
15.106 %
31
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
14.962 %
32
South Africa flag
South Africa
14.916 %
33
Iceland flag
Iceland
14.588 %
34
Austria flag
Austria
14.502 %
35
Belgium flag
Belgium
14.499 %
36
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
14.476 %
37
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
14.432 %
38
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
14.213 %
39
France flag
France
14.148 %
40
Spain flag
Spain
14.093 %
41
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
13.924 %
42
Palau flag
Palau
13.917 %
43
Malta flag
Malta
13.833 %
44
Samoa flag
Samoa
13.798 %
45
Singapore flag
Singapore
13.655 %
46
Finland flag
Finland
13.572 %
47
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
13.543 %
48
Peru flag
Peru
13.096 %
49
Italy flag
Italy
13.09 %
50
Jordan flag
Jordan
13.064 %
51
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
12.977 %
52
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
12.757 %
53
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
12.672 %
54
Tuvalu flag
Tuvalu
12.671 %
55
Thailand flag
Thailand
12.662 %
56
Estonia flag
Estonia
12.427 %
57
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
12.388 %
58
Belize flag
Belize
12.234 %
59
Serbia flag
Serbia
12.021 %
60
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
11.976 %
61
Namibia flag
Namibia
11.967 %
62
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
11.834 %
63
South Korea flag
South Korea
11.739 %
64
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
11.592 %
65
Honduras flag
Honduras
11.553 %
66
Algeria flag
Algeria
11.418 %
67
Israel flag
Israel
11.403 %
68
Croatia flag
Croatia
11.335 %
69
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
11.252 %
70
Romania flag
Romania
11.165 %
71
Portugal flag
Portugal
11.147 %
72
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
10.984 %
73
Botswana flag
Botswana
10.959 %
74
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
10.926 %
75
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
10.854 %
76
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
10.794 %
77
Sudan flag
Sudan
10.618 %
78
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
10.528 %
79
Poland flag
Poland
10.471 %
80
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
10.364 %
81
Mexico flag
Mexico
10.346 %
82
Turkey flag
Turkey
10.29 %
83
Marshall Islands flag
Marshall Islands
10.185 %
84
Nauru flag
Nauru
10.093 %
85
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
10.091 %
86
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
10.034 %
87
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
9.983 %
88
Barbados flag
Barbados
9.91 %
89
Burundi flag
Burundi
9.792 %
90
State of Palestine flag
State of Palestine
9.719 %
91
China flag
China
9.661 %
92
Dominica flag
Dominica
9.62 %
93
Seychelles flag
Seychelles
9.539 %
94
Guyana flag
Guyana
9.417 %
95
Hungary flag
Hungary
9.394 %
96
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
9.302 %
97
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
9.278 %
98
Tonga flag
Tonga
9.177 %
99
Russia flag
Russia
9.164 %
100
Cook Islands flag
Cook Islands
9.143 %
101
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
9.123 %
102
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
9.05 %
103
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
9.033 %
104
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
8.952 %
105
Brazil flag
Brazil
8.929 %
106
Greece flag
Greece
8.772 %
107
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
8.714 %
108
Belarus flag
Belarus
8.685 %
109
Malawi flag
Malawi
8.581 %
110
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
8.501 %
111
Latvia flag
Latvia
8.375 %
112
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
8.327 %
113
Albania flag
Albania
8.174 %
114
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
8.117 %
115
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
7.982 %
116
Kenya flag
Kenya
7.845 %
117
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
7.824 %
118
Zambia flag
Zambia
7.785 %
119
Georgia flag
Georgia
7.78 %
120
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
7.778 %
121
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
7.776 %
122
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
7.774 %
123
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
7.724 %
124
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
7.719 %
125
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
7.58 %
126
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
7.562 %
127
Philippines flag
Philippines
7.505 %
128
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
7.485 %
129
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
7.475 %
130
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
7.47 %
131
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
7.422 %
132
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
7.402 %
133
Grenada flag
Grenada
7.296 %
134
Kiribati flag
Kiribati
7.28 %
135
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
7.139 %
136
Fiji flag
Fiji
7.104 %
137
Uganda flag
Uganda
7.009 %
138
Saint Kitts and Nevis flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis
6.958 %
139
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
6.938 %
140
Suriname flag
Suriname
6.898 %
141
Morocco flag
Morocco
6.839 %
142
Oman flag
Oman
6.813 %
143
Ghana flag
Ghana
6.72 %
144
Qatar flag
Qatar
6.504 %
145
Gabon flag
Gabon
6.385 %
146
Armenia flag
Armenia
6.275 %
147
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
6.168 %
148
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
6.073 %
149
Niue flag
Niue
6.029 %
150
Gambia flag
Gambia
5.754 %
151
Libya flag
Libya
5.713 %
152
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
5.652 %
153
Chad flag
Chad
5.549 %
154
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
5.492 %
155
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
5.406 %
156
Niger flag
Niger
5.403 %
157
Nepal flag
Nepal
5.268 %
158
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
5.241 %
159
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
5.204 %
160
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
5.111 %
161
Senegal flag
Senegal
4.676 %
162
Togo flag
Togo
4.558 %
163
Mali flag
Mali
4.455 %
164
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
4.317 %
165
Egypt flag
Egypt
4.161 %
166
Somalia flag
Somalia
4.112 %
167
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
4.088 %
168
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
4.056 %
169
Benin flag
Benin
4.045 %
170
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
3.987 %
171
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
3.947 %
172
Comoros flag
Comoros
3.82 %
173
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
3.719 %
174
Micronesia (Fed. States of) flag
Micronesia (Fed. States of)
3.69 %
175
Angola flag
Angola
3.616 %
176
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
3.592 %
177
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
3.342 %
178
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
3.336 %
179
India flag
India
3.251 %
180
Haiti flag
Haiti
3.201 %
181
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
3.107 %
182
Guinea flag
Guinea
3.048 %
183
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
2.94 %
184
Yemen flag
Yemen
2.82 %
185
Laos flag
Laos
2.736 %
186
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
2.598 %
187
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
2.519 %
188
Liberia flag
Liberia
2.461 %
189
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
2.373 %
190
Iraq flag
Iraq
2.37 %
191
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
2.061 %
192
Congo flag
Congo
1.95 %
193
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
1.861 %

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

  1. #1San Marino flagSan Marino
  2. #2Costa Rica flagCosta Rica
  3. #3Iran flagIran
  4. #4Japan flagJapan
  5. #5Andorra flagAndorra
  6. #6United States flagUnited States
  7. #7United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdom
  8. #8Canada flagCanada
  9. #9Uruguay flagUruguay
  10. #10Germany flagGermany

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

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #193Afghanistan flagAfghanistan
  2. #192Congo flagCongo
  3. #191Equatorial Guinea flagEquatorial Guinea
  4. #190Iraq flagIraq
  5. #189Eritrea flagEritrea
  6. #188Liberia flagLiberia
  7. #187Vanuatu flagVanuatu
  8. #186Guinea-Bissau flagGuinea-Bissau
  9. #185Laos flagLaos
  10. #184Yemen flagYemen

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

Analysis & Context

The country with the highest Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure in 2014 was San Marino at 30.79%. Globally, this metric ranged from a minimum of 1.86% to a maximum of 30.79% across 193 countries. The global average was 10.00%, offering a benchmark for assessing national health budget priorities.

High Health Spending Priorities in Developed Nations

Developed countries tend to allocate a larger portion of their government expenditure to health services, reflecting their commitment to robust healthcare systems. For instance, Japan allocated 22.57% of its government budget to health, while the United States and United Kingdom dedicated 21.48% and 19.28%, respectively. These figures underscore the emphasis placed on healthcare in these nations, often driven by aging populations and advanced medical technologies that demand substantial funding.

The presence of San Marino at the top, with 30.79%, highlights a unique case where a small population and a well-established public health infrastructure allow for a significant budget allocation to health services.

Low Health Spending in Developing Economies

Conversely, many developing countries exhibit a lower percentage of government expenditure on health, often due to competing budgetary priorities like infrastructure and education. Afghanistan reported a mere 1.86%, the lowest globally, while Congo and Equatorial Guinea allocated 1.95% and 2.06%, respectively. These figures may reflect limited fiscal capacity or differing policy priorities, where immediate economic development is prioritized over healthcare investment.

Year-over-Year Changes and Their Implications

Analyzing year-over-year changes provides insights into shifting government priorities and external influences. Andorra saw the most significant increase of +10.48% (a 93.7% rise), indicating a substantial policy shift or increased investment in public health infrastructure. Similarly, Iran increased its health spending by +6.80% (a 41.6% rise), likely a reflection of policy reforms aimed at improving healthcare access and quality.

In contrast, Vanuatu experienced the most significant decrease, with a reduction of -7.28% (a -74.3% decline). This significant drop might be due to fiscal constraints or reallocation of funds to other sectors, such as disaster recovery or infrastructure development following natural events.

Impact of Economic and Policy Contexts

Economic stability and government policy heavily influence health spending priorities. Countries like Germany and Canada, with allocations of 18.73% and 18.97%, respectively, benefit from stable economies and policies that prioritize universal healthcare. These nations often have the fiscal capacity and political will to sustain high levels of health expenditure.

Meanwhile, countries with lower spending percentages, such as Yemen (2.82%) and Eritrea (2.37%), may face economic challenges and political instability that hinder their ability to allocate more towards health services. These conditions often lead to a reliance on international aid and non-governmental organizations to fill healthcare gaps.

Overall, the Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure in 2014 reflects a complex interplay of economic capacity, demographic needs, and policy decisions, highlighting the diverse approaches countries take in prioritizing health within their budgets.

Frequently Asked Questions About Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure in 2014

Which country had the highest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014?

San Marino had the highest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014, with 30.79%.

Which country had the lowest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014?

Afghanistan had the lowest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014, with 1.86%.

What was the average government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure across all countries in 2014?

The average government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure across all countries in 2014 was 10%.

What was the median government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014?

The median government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014 was 9.28%.

Which countries were in the top 3 for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014?

The top 3 countries for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014 were San Marino (30.79%), Costa Rica (29.58%), and Iran (23.14%).

What was the range of government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014?

The range of government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2014 was from 1.86% in Afghanistan to 30.79% in San Marino.

Insights by country

1

Tuvalu

In 2014, Tuvalu ranked #54 globally for Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure, with a value of 12.67068 %. This percentage is higher than the global average, indicating a significant commitment to health relative to other nations. The small population and limited resources of Tuvalu necessitate focused investments in health services, driven by the need to address unique challenges such as geographic isolation and vulnerability to climate change.

2

Libya

In 2014, Libya's Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure was 5.7134776 %, ranking #151 out of 193 countries. This figure is significantly lower than the global average, indicating limited investment in health relative to other nations. The low spending is largely attributed to ongoing political instability and economic challenges following the civil conflict, which have strained public resources and diverted funds away from essential services like healthcare.

3

Nigeria

Nigeria ranked #178 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 3.33638 % in 2014. This figure is notably lower than the global average, indicating significant underfunding in health compared to countries with better health outcomes.

The low expenditure can be attributed to Nigeria's economic challenges, including high levels of poverty and reliance on oil revenues, which often do not translate into sufficient public health funding. Additionally, the country's large population and diverse health needs further strain the limited resources allocated to healthcare.

4

Qatar

In 2014, Qatar ranked #144 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 6.503873 %. This figure is notably lower than the global average, reflecting a focus on other sectors such as infrastructure and energy. Qatar's substantial wealth from natural gas reserves allows for significant public investment, yet prioritization of health spending may be influenced by a relatively young population and a commitment to developing a robust healthcare system.

5

Maldives

In 2014, Maldives ranked #22 globally, with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 16.86293 %. This figure is notably higher than the global average, reflecting the country's commitment to health care in a region where many nations allocate less. Contributing factors include Maldives' small population, which allows for more focused investment in health services, and a growing tourism sector that generates revenue for public services.

6

Austria

In 2014, Austria ranked #34 globally with a Government Health Spending of 14.502279 % of Total Government Expenditure. This figure is relatively high compared to some neighboring countries, reflecting Austria's commitment to healthcare in the European context. Key drivers of this spending include a robust social welfare system and a strong emphasis on public health policies, supported by a well-established healthcare infrastructure and a population that values comprehensive medical services.

7

Armenia

In 2014, Armenia ranked #146 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 6.2752604 %. This percentage is below the global average, reflecting challenges in healthcare financing compared to higher-ranked countries. Contributing factors include Armenia's economic constraints and a focus on other pressing national priorities, which limit the allocation of funds to health services.

8

Poland

In 2014, Poland ranked #79 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 10.471004 %. This figure is lower than the European Union average, reflecting a more conservative approach to health funding compared to many Western European nations. Key drivers of this spending level include Poland's transition to a market economy, which has influenced public health financing, and a demographic profile with a significant working-age population, impacting budget allocations.

9

Vanuatu

In 2014, Vanuatu ranked #187 globally for Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure at 2.5189924 %. This figure is notably low compared to many countries, reflecting a significant gap in health funding compared to the global average. Contributing factors include Vanuatu's limited economic resources and the challenges posed by its geographic dispersion of islands, which complicates healthcare delivery and infrastructure development.

10

Indonesia

In 2014, Indonesia ranked #155 globally for Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure at 5.405502 %. This figure is notably lower than the global average, indicating limited prioritization of health in government budgets compared to many other countries. Contributing factors include Indonesia's diverse geography, which complicates healthcare delivery, and a growing population that places additional strain on existing resources.

Data Source

Health spending as a share of total government spending | Our World in Data

Our World in Data is a research organization that provides comprehensive global statistics on various topics, including health, economics, and education. The dataset on health spending as a share of total government spending offers country-level insights into the proportion of government budgets allocated to health care.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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