Skip to main content Help with accessibility

How does UK healthcare spending compare with other countries?

Main points from the Office for National Statistics article

  • In 2017, the UK spent £2,989 per person on healthcare which was the second lowest in the G7, with the highest spenders being France (£3,737), Germany (£4,432) and the US (£7,736).

  • However, the UK’s health spending was near the median for members of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which was £2,913 per person.

  • The UK’s healthcare spending fell as a percentage of GDP from 9.8% in 2013 to 9.6% in 2017 whereas this percentage rose over the same period for four of the remaining six G7 countries.

  • Having a publicly-funded NHS-based health system contributes to the UK having one of the highest shares of publicly-funded healthcare (79%) in the OECD.

  • In 2017 the UK spent the equivalent of £560 per person on health-related long-term care, which was less than most other Northern or Western European countries, but a similar amount to France (£569) and Canada (£556).