Health care • Around the world

What does medical care cost?

There are two different questions: How much does a country spend on health care? And how much does a patient have to pay?

Insurance, taxes and public programs connect the two—but they are not the same bill.

Three kinds of costs

Country spending

Money spent across the whole health system, divided by the population. It includes payments by governments, insurers and patients.

Insurance payments

Premiums keep a policy active. Taxes or required insurance contributions may also help fund coverage.

Patient payments

Money paid directly for care, such as a copay, deductible or uncovered service. This is often called “out-of-pocket” spending.

An out-of-pocket figure does not include every household health cost: premiums and taxes are separate. OECD funding definitions · HealthCare.gov cost guide

How much do countries spend?

This expands the research from our U.S. health-costs page to 23 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania. It is a selected comparison, not a list of every country.

One consistent snapshot: OECD’s 2025 report, using 2024 or nearest-year figures, including estimates. These are not 2026 prices. Newer database releases may revise the figures.

Amounts are in U.S. comparison dollars adjusted for buying power (PPP). This helps compare different currencies. It is not an exchange rate or the price of a doctor visit. GDP share means the portion of a country’s economy spent on health care.

23 countries shown

On smaller screens, swipe the table sideways.

Annual health spending • 2024 or nearest year • OECD 2025 snapshot
Country	Per person USD, buying-power adjusted	Share of economy % of GDP	Source
Australia	$7,469	10.3%	Country data
Canada	$7,301	11.3%	Country data
Chile	$3,749	10.5%	Country data
Colombia	$1,877	8.1%	Country data
Costa Rica	$1,935	6.8%	Country data
Denmark	$7,071	9.4%	Country data
Finland	$6,655	10.6%	Country data
France	$7,367	11.5%	Country data
Germany	$9,365	12.3%	Country data
Italy	$5,164	8.4%	Country data
Japan	$5,790	10.6%	Country data
Mexico	$1,588	5.9%	Country data
Netherlands	$8,436	10.0%	Country data
New Zealand	$6,097	10.1%	Country data
Norway	$9,393	9.7%	Country data
Poland	$4,284	8.1%	Country data
Portugal	$5,212	10.2%	Country data
South Korea	$4,797	8.4%	Country data
Spain	$5,346	9.2%	Country data
Sweden	$7,871	11.3%	Country data
Switzerland	$9,963	11.8%	Country data
United Kingdom	$6,747	11.1%	Country data
United States	$14,885	17.2%	Country data
OECD average	$5,967	9.3%	Report

Download the country comparison (CSV)

The OECD average includes more countries than the 23 shown. These are current health expenditures: capital investment, such as new buildings, is excluded. The U.S. CMS series on our other page uses a different scope and release, so its total is different.

What might patients still pay?

“Universal coverage” means a system aims to cover everyone. It does not mean every service is free. These seven system examples describe enrolled or eligible residents; visitors may have different rules. The spending table above covers more countries than these detailed coverage summaries.

How coverage and patient charges work • Selected examples checked October 17, 2026
Country	Basic approach	What patients may pay
United States	Public programs and private insurance both pay for care. Plans differ.	Premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance can all matter. Covered services and provider networks depend on the plan. Source
Canada	Provincial and territorial public plans cover medically necessary hospital and doctor services for eligible residents.	Outpatient drugs, routine dental care and other services may need extra coverage or direct payment. Public help varies by service and eligibility. Source
United Kingdom	Most NHS care is free when received by eligible residents. Rules differ across the four UK nations.	In England, some prescriptions, dental care and eye care carry charges; exemptions apply. Private care is separate. Source
Germany	Most residents use statutory health insurance; others have private coverage.	Contributions help fund coverage. Copays apply to some services; statutory rules include exemptions and limits. Source
France	Public health insurance pays or reimburses covered care. Supplementary insurance can cover some remaining charges.	Patients may owe part of the bill, flat fees or charges above the covered price. Exemptions and extra help apply in some cases. Source
Japan	Public health insurance shares the cost of covered care with patients.	Many working-age patients pay 30% of covered charges. Age, income and other rules change the share; a high-cost benefit limits eligible monthly expenses. Source
Australia	Medicare covers eligible public patients in public hospitals and helps pay for other services.	Doctor fees may exceed the Medicare payment. Medicines and services outside coverage can cost extra; private insurance has its own rules. Source

These summaries are not full benefit lists. Germany’s copay protections · Japan’s high-cost benefit · NHS charges and help

No patient bill does not mean no cost. A public plan or insurer can pay the provider. People may help fund that plan through taxes, insurance payments or both.

How government affects the cost

Who is covered

Rules decide who can enroll, what care is covered, and whether people get help paying.

Who pays

Countries use different mixes of taxes, insurance and direct patient payments. Changing the mix can move costs between these groups.

What care costs

Payment rules and price agreements can affect what providers receive. Spending also depends on how much care people use.

OECD: how care is funded · OECD: prices and use of care

For the tax side of this question, see tax rates around the world. A tax rate and a health-spending amount cannot simply be added together.

What the numbers cannot tell us

Does spending more mean better care?

Not by itself. Compare access to doctors, treatment results, waiting times and financial protection too. A national average also hides differences between places and income groups.

OECD: coverage is not the same as access

Why not list one price for surgery or a hospital visit?

A fair comparison needs the same procedure, setting and services. A hospital’s full charge, an insurer’s agreed price and a patient’s final bill are different numbers. A quote that leaves out the doctor, medicines or follow-up care can mislead.

Australia’s official guide to comparing medical costs

Can an American get care abroad at the resident price?

Do not assume so. Coverage can depend on residency, insurance enrollment or an agreement between countries. Planned treatment and emergency treatment can follow different rules.

France’s official visitor-coverage guide

Sources and dates

Reviewed October 17, 2026. The spending table preserves the OECD 2025 publication snapshot used in our earlier research. The original seven-country table has been expanded using 16 additional country notes from the same report. It is not a live feed of the newest estimates.

OECD spending definitions and comparability notes explain the measure. OECD Health Statistics provides newer database releases. Each country row links to its source.

Spending measures and coverage summaries have different dates. Do not treat this page as a personal bill estimate or a ranking of the best health system.

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