Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure 2016

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
31.492 %
2
Costa Rica flag
Costa Rica
28.606 %
3
Iran flag
Iran
24.215 %
4
Japan flag
Japan
23.177 %
5
United States flag
United States
22.488 %
6
Panama flag
Panama
20.341 %
7
Uruguay flag
Uruguay
20.244 %
8
United Kingdom flag
United Kingdom
19.956 %
9
Maldives flag
Maldives
19.748 %
10
Ireland flag
Ireland
19.263 %
11
Germany flag
Germany
19.078 %
12
Canada flag
Canada
18.961 %
13
Australia flag
Australia
18.543 %
14
Sweden flag
Sweden
18.284 %
15
Guatemala flag
Guatemala
18.205 %
16
New Zealand flag
New Zealand
17.911 %
17
Paraguay flag
Paraguay
17.786 %
18
Colombia flag
Colombia
17.659 %
19
El Salvador flag
El Salvador
17.652 %
20
Norway flag
Norway
17.547 %
21
Madagascar flag
Madagascar
17.511 %
22
Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua
17.329 %
23
Cuba flag
Cuba
17.303 %
24
Monaco flag
Monaco
17.177 %
25
Chile flag
Chile
16.751 %
26
Denmark flag
Denmark
16.534 %
27
Argentina flag
Argentina
15.842 %
28
Czech Republic flag
Czech Republic
15.716 %
29
Dominican Republic flag
Dominican Republic
15.698 %
30
Liechtenstein flag
Liechtenstein
15.647 %
31
Bosnia and Herzegovina flag
Bosnia and Herzegovina
15.63 %
32
Belgium flag
Belgium
15.58 %
33
Malta flag
Malta
15.464 %
34
South Africa flag
South Africa
15.29 %
35
France flag
France
15.174 %
36
Spain flag
Spain
15.097 %
37
Austria flag
Austria
14.905 %
38
Netherlands flag
Netherlands
14.877 %
39
Peru flag
Peru
14.634 %
40
Iceland flag
Iceland
14.339 %
41
Samoa flag
Samoa
13.94 %
42
Palau flag
Palau
13.906 %
43
Bahamas flag
Bahamas
13.885 %
44
Slovakia flag
Slovakia
13.805 %
45
Namibia flag
Namibia
13.803 %
46
Suriname flag
Suriname
13.709 %
47
Thailand flag
Thailand
13.58 %
48
Finland flag
Finland
13.357 %
49
Singapore flag
Singapore
13.307 %
50
Slovenia flag
Slovenia
13.214 %
51
Lebanon flag
Lebanon
13.17 %
52
Italy flag
Italy
13.164 %
53
North Macedonia flag
North Macedonia
13.054 %
54
Tuvalu flag
Tuvalu
12.993 %
55
Sudan flag
Sudan
12.929 %
56
Portugal flag
Portugal
12.9 %
57
South Korea flag
South Korea
12.695 %
58
Lithuania flag
Lithuania
12.686 %
59
Jamaica flag
Jamaica
12.684 %
60
Saudi Arabia flag
Saudi Arabia
12.606 %
61
Estonia flag
Estonia
12.565 %
62
Tunisia flag
Tunisia
12.515 %
63
Republic of Moldova flag
Republic of Moldova
12.208 %
64
Belize flag
Belize
12.115 %
65
Croatia flag
Croatia
12.089 %
66
Bulgaria flag
Bulgaria
11.828 %
67
Israel flag
Israel
11.652 %
68
Serbia flag
Serbia
11.649 %
69
Antigua and Barbuda flag
Antigua and Barbuda
11.607 %
70
Andorra flag
Andorra
11.596 %
71
Romania flag
Romania
11.416 %
72
Marshall Islands flag
Marshall Islands
11.369 %
73
Honduras flag
Honduras
11.296 %
74
Jordan flag
Jordan
11.238 %
75
Botswana flag
Botswana
11.211 %
76
Switzerland flag
Switzerland
11.176 %
77
Bolivia flag
Bolivia
11.075 %
78
Burkina Faso flag
Burkina Faso
11.034 %
79
Poland flag
Poland
10.947 %
80
Montenegro flag
Montenegro
10.921 %
81
Luxembourg flag
Luxembourg
10.692 %
82
Algeria flag
Algeria
10.606 %
83
Ecuador flag
Ecuador
10.48 %
84
Mexico flag
Mexico
10.412 %
85
Cabo Verde flag
Cabo Verde
10.392 %
86
Lesotho flag
Lesotho
10.336 %
87
Nauru flag
Nauru
10.333 %
88
Georgia flag
Georgia
10.327 %
89
Belarus flag
Belarus
10.307 %
90
Mauritius flag
Mauritius
10.202 %
91
Trinidad and Tobago flag
Trinidad and Tobago
10.171 %
92
Hungary flag
Hungary
10.11 %
93
Guyana flag
Guyana
10.054 %
94
Turkey flag
Turkey
9.944 %
95
Libya flag
Libya
9.908 %
96
Burundi flag
Burundi
9.904 %
97
Albania flag
Albania
9.889 %
98
Malawi flag
Malawi
9.678 %
99
Vietnam flag
Vietnam
9.597 %
100
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
9.557 %
101
Tanzania flag
Tanzania
9.521 %
102
Kazakhstan flag
Kazakhstan
9.484 %
103
Seychelles flag
Seychelles
9.454 %
104
Barbados flag
Barbados
9.285 %
105
Gabon flag
Gabon
9.203 %
106
Latvia flag
Latvia
9.133 %
107
United Arab Emirates flag
United Arab Emirates
9.067 %
108
China flag
China
8.953 %
109
Ukraine flag
Ukraine
8.939 %
110
Uzbekistan flag
Uzbekistan
8.82 %
111
Greece flag
Greece
8.809 %
112
State of Palestine flag
State of Palestine
8.759 %
113
Turkmenistan flag
Turkmenistan
8.714 %
114
Brazil flag
Brazil
8.676 %
115
Sri Lanka flag
Sri Lanka
8.565 %
116
Bahrain flag
Bahrain
8.526 %
117
Saint Lucia flag
Saint Lucia
8.516 %
118
Oman flag
Oman
8.411 %
119
Saint Kitts and Nevis flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis
8.372 %
120
Syrian Arab Republic flag
Syrian Arab Republic
8.316 %
121
Malaysia flag
Malaysia
8.263 %
122
Russia flag
Russia
8.234 %
123
Eswatini flag
Eswatini
8.218 %
124
Cook Islands flag
Cook Islands
8.148 %
125
Indonesia flag
Indonesia
8.13 %
126
Papua New Guinea flag
Papua New Guinea
8.041 %
127
Tonga flag
Tonga
8.031 %
128
Kenya flag
Kenya
8.025 %
129
Sao Tome and Principe flag
Sao Tome and Principe
8.002 %
130
Solomon Islands flag
Solomon Islands
7.962 %
131
Bhutan flag
Bhutan
7.96 %
132
Kiribati flag
Kiribati
7.782 %
133
Philippines flag
Philippines
7.752 %
134
Qatar flag
Qatar
7.589 %
135
Grenada flag
Grenada
7.508 %
136
Kuwait flag
Kuwait
7.478 %
137
Dominica flag
Dominica
7.278 %
138
Zambia flag
Zambia
7.165 %
139
Cyprus flag
Cyprus
7.055 %
140
Morocco flag
Morocco
7.009 %
141
Cambodia flag
Cambodia
6.848 %
142
Fiji flag
Fiji
6.668 %
143
Gambia flag
Gambia
6.658 %
144
Ghana flag
Ghana
6.538 %
145
Mongolia flag
Mongolia
6.462 %
146
Kyrgyzstan flag
Kyrgyzstan
6.416 %
147
Rwanda flag
Rwanda
6.23 %
148
Brunei Darussalam flag
Brunei Darussalam
6.153 %
149
Tajikistan flag
Tajikistan
6.094 %
150
Armenia flag
Armenia
6.054 %
151
Mozambique flag
Mozambique
5.996 %
152
Iraq flag
Iraq
5.985 %
153
Somalia flag
Somalia
5.776 %
154
Mauritania flag
Mauritania
5.756 %
155
Chad flag
Chad
5.725 %
156
Niger flag
Niger
5.686 %
157
Zimbabwe flag
Zimbabwe
5.489 %
158
Angola flag
Angola
5.433 %
159
Mali flag
Mali
5.431 %
160
Nepal flag
Nepal
5.315 %
161
Uganda flag
Uganda
5.178 %
162
Djibouti flag
Djibouti
5.137 %
163
Egypt flag
Egypt
5.058 %
164
Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia
5.024 %
165
Haiti flag
Haiti
5.022 %
166
Niue flag
Niue
4.975 %
167
Central African Republic flag
Central African Republic
4.947 %
168
Nigeria flag
Nigeria
4.866 %
169
Cรดte d'Ivoire flag
Cรดte d'Ivoire
4.852 %
170
Benin flag
Benin
4.627 %
171
Senegal flag
Senegal
4.457 %
172
Sierra Leone flag
Sierra Leone
4.445 %
173
Togo flag
Togo
4.259 %
174
Guinea flag
Guinea
4.13 %
175
Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh
4.099 %
176
Pakistan flag
Pakistan
3.96 %
177
Liberia flag
Liberia
3.897 %
178
Congo, Democratic Republic of the flag
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
3.808 %
179
Vanuatu flag
Vanuatu
3.662 %
180
Laos flag
Laos
3.628 %
181
India flag
India
3.393 %
182
Yemen flag
Yemen
3.365 %
183
Azerbaijan flag
Azerbaijan
3.29 %
184
Micronesia (Fed. States of) flag
Micronesia (Fed. States of)
3.2 %
185
Myanmar flag
Myanmar
3.133 %
186
Equatorial Guinea flag
Equatorial Guinea
3.111 %
187
Timor-Leste flag
Timor-Leste
3.072 %
188
Comoros flag
Comoros
3.036 %
189
Congo flag
Congo
2.885 %
190
Eritrea flag
Eritrea
2.373 %
191
Guinea-Bissau flag
Guinea-Bissau
2.362 %
192
Afghanistan flag
Afghanistan
2.141 %
193
Cameroon flag
Cameroon
1.813 %

โ†‘Top 10 Countries

  1. #1San Marino flagSan Marino
  2. #2Costa Rica flagCosta Rica
  3. #3Iran flagIran
  4. #4Japan flagJapan
  5. #5United States flagUnited States
  6. #6Panama flagPanama
  7. #7Uruguay flagUruguay
  8. #8United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdom
  9. #9Maldives flagMaldives
  10. #10Ireland flagIreland

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

โ†“Bottom 10 Countries

  1. #193Cameroon flagCameroon
  2. #192Afghanistan flagAfghanistan
  3. #191Guinea-Bissau flagGuinea-Bissau
  4. #190Eritrea flagEritrea
  5. #189Congo flagCongo
  6. #188Comoros flagComoros
  7. #187Timor-Leste flagTimor-Leste
  8. #186Equatorial Guinea flagEquatorial Guinea
  9. #185Myanmar flagMyanmar
  10. #184Micronesia (Fed. States of) flagMicronesia (Fed. States of)

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

Analysis & Context

In 2016, San Marino led the world with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 31.49%, while the range globally spanned from a minimum of 1.81% to a maximum of 31.49%. The global average for this metric was 10.41%, providing a benchmark for evaluating each country's commitment to health in their budget allocations.

Global Leaders in Health Expenditure

Countries that allocate a significant portion of their government expenditure to health services often do so due to strategic policy choices, strong health infrastructure, or a focus on public welfare. San Marino, with the highest allocation, reflects its prioritization of comprehensive health services. Similarly, Costa Rica and Iran, with expenditures of 28.61% and 24.22% respectively, emphasize their robust public health policies. These countries, along with others like Japan (23.18%) and the United States (22.49%), showcase how higher spending can correlate with advanced healthcare systems and a focus on preventive care.

Factors Influencing Low Health Expenditure

At the other end of the spectrum, countries with minimal health spending, such as Cameroon (1.81%) and Afghanistan (2.14%), often face economic constraints or political instability that limit their ability to prioritize health. These nations may struggle with limited fiscal capacity and competing demands for resources in areas such as defense or infrastructure. This scenario is also evident in Guinea-Bissau and Eritrea, where health expenditures were 2.36% and 2.37% respectively. Such low allocations can lead to underfunded health systems, affecting the overall quality and accessibility of healthcare services.

Year-over-Year Changes and Their Implications

Significant year-over-year changes in health expenditure allocations can indicate shifts in government priorities or responses to emerging health challenges. Sudan experienced the largest increase, with a 94.0% rise, reflecting a strategic shift or an urgent need to address health crises. Similarly, Iraq saw a 256.0% increase, likely driven by post-conflict reconstruction efforts focusing on rebuilding health infrastructure. Conversely, Andorra faced a substantial decrease of 26.4%, which might be due to budget reallocation or economic pressures. Other countries like Dominica and Ghana also saw notable reductions, highlighting the volatility that can affect health funding.

Policy Implications and Future Trends

The varied levels of health spending across countries underscore the influence of political priorities, economic status, and demographic needs. Nations like Uruguay and the United Kingdom, with allocations of 20.24% and 19.96% respectively, illustrate how sustained investments in health can be part of a long-term policy strategy to improve public health outcomes. As global health challenges evolve, particularly with the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and aging populations, countries may need to reassess and potentially increase their health spending to ensure sustainable development and well-being for their citizens.

Frequently Asked Questions About Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure in 2016

Which country had the highest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016?

San Marino had the highest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016, at 31.49%.

Which country had the lowest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016?

Cameroon had the lowest government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016, at 1.81%.

What was the average government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure across all countries in 2016?

The average government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure across all countries in 2016 was 10.41%.

What was the median government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016?

The median government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016 was 9.89%.

Which countries were in the top 3 for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016?

The top 3 countries for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016 were San Marino, Costa Rica, and Iran.

How many countries were included in the dataset for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016?

The dataset included 193 countries for government health spending as a percentage of total government expenditure in 2016.

Insights by country

1

Dominica

In 2016, Dominica ranked #137 globally, with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 7.27849 %. This percentage is lower than the global average, indicating limited resources allocated to health compared to many other nations. Factors such as a small population, economic constraints, and the impact of natural disasters on infrastructure and funding contribute to this relatively low health expenditure.

2

Kiribati

In 2016, Kiribati ranked #132 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 7.7818184 %. This figure is notably lower than many neighboring Pacific island nations, which often allocate a higher percentage of their budgets to health. The relatively low spending is influenced by Kiribati's limited economic resources and high vulnerability to climate change, impacting both public health and infrastructure investment.

3

Namibia

In 2016, Namibia ranked #45 globally for Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure, allocating 13.802707 % of its budget to health. This figure is relatively high compared to many sub-Saharan African nations, reflecting the government's commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes. Key drivers for this spending include Namibia's relatively high prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which necessitate substantial health investments to mitigate their impact on the population.

4

Jamaica

In 2016, Jamaica ranked #59 globally for Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure, allocating 12.683866 % of its total budget to health. This percentage is higher than the global average for government health spending, which typically hovers around 10%. The substantial investment can be attributed to Jamaica's focus on addressing public health challenges, including high rates of non-communicable diseases and a commitment to improving healthcare access amidst economic constraints.

5

Israel

In 2016, Israel ranked #67 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 11.651914 %. This figure is relatively high compared to some neighboring countries, reflecting Israel's commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare services. Key drivers of this expenditure include a robust public healthcare system and a significant investment in medical technology and innovation, which is vital for its population's health and well-being.

6

Hungary

In 2016, Hungary ranked #92 globally with a Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure of 10.110289 %. This figure is below the European Union average, reflecting a more constrained health budget compared to many of its neighbors. Contributing factors include Hungary's economic challenges and a focus on reducing public debt, which has limited the growth of health funding in recent years.

7

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked #31 globally in Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure, allocating 15.6296625 % of its total government budget to health. This percentage is notably higher than the global average, indicating a significant commitment to health services compared to many other countries. Factors contributing to this spending include the country's post-war recovery efforts and the need to address public health challenges, which have shaped its health policy priorities.

8

Lebanon

In 2016, Lebanon ranked #51 globally in Government Health Spending % of Total Government Expenditure, with a value of 13.169962 %. This figure is relatively significant compared to regional neighbors, indicating a commitment to health amidst economic challenges. The high percentage can be attributed to Lebanon's complex healthcare landscape, which includes a mix of public and private providers and an ongoing refugee crisis that strains health resources.

9

Bangladesh

In 2016, Bangladesh ranked #175 globally with a Government Health Spending of 4.099358 % of Total Government Expenditure. This figure is significantly lower than the global average, reflecting challenges in funding healthcare compared to higher-ranked nations. The country's limited health budget is driven by economic constraints, a high population density, and ongoing development needs that prioritize infrastructure and education over health services.

10

Laos

In 2016, Laos ranked #180 globally with a Government Health Spending of 3.627994 % of Total Government Expenditure. This figure is significantly lower than the global average, indicating limited resources allocated to healthcare compared to more developed nations.

The low spending can be attributed to Laos's economic challenges, including a reliance on agriculture and foreign aid, as well as a young population that may prioritize infrastructure and education over health services. Additionally, the country faces geographical constraints that complicate healthcare delivery in rural areas.

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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