HEALTH
The US spends more on health care per person than any other country — by a wide margin
The United States spends more per person on health care each year than any other country, more than ten times the world average.
The short answer
The United States spends the most per person on health care among economies with more than one million people, followed by Switzerland and Norway. The world average is about $1,317. South Korea, at around $3,137, ranks in the top 15% globally.
The full top 10
| Rank | Country / economy | Health spending per capita (current US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $13,473 |
| 2 | Switzerland | $11,784 |
| 3 | Norway | $8,296 |
| 4 | Ireland | $7,395 |
| 5 | Australia | $6,980 |
| 6 | Germany | $6,849 |
| 7 | Netherlands | $6,845 |
| 8 | Denmark | $6,745 |
| 9 | Austria | $6,739 |
| 10 | Sweden | $6,485 |
What the number means
This measures total health spending — public and private, including insurance, out-of-pocket payments and government programs — divided by population, in current US dollars, not adjusted for cost of living.
Where the highest spending is
The top of the list is almost entirely wealthy, high-income economies, split between countries with largely private insurance systems (the US, Switzerland) and countries with generous public systems funded by high tax revenue (Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and other Nordic and Western European economies).
Why it matters
Higher spending doesn't automatically translate into better health outcomes. Despite spending far more per person than any peer country, the United States does not have the world's highest life expectancy — several lower-spending countries rank ahead of it — which points to differences in system efficiency, administrative costs and how care is delivered, not just funding levels.
How we made this
Data: World Bank, World Development Indicators (indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD), latest available year per economy (2023–2024). We compare economies with at least one million people.
Frequently asked questions
Does spending more on health care mean better health outcomes?
Not directly — the US spends far more per person than any other country but doesn't have the highest life expectancy, suggesting efficiency and access matter as much as total spending.
Is this the same as health spending as a share of GDP?
No — this is spending per person in dollar terms, not adjusted for the size of the economy. A country can rank high here even if health spending is a smaller share of a very large GDP.