The most recent statistics on healthcare expenditure published by Eurostat show how expenditure on healthcare varies across European Union (EU) in 2016 in terms of the share of gross domestic product (GDP).
Current healthcare expenditure in France was equivalent to 11.5 % of GDP, more than in any other EU Member State. The next highest ratios were in Germany (11.1 %) and Sweden (11.0 %). By contrast, current healthcare expenditure accounted for less than 7.5 % of GDP in 12 Member States, with Romania recording the lowest ratio (5.0 %). Although Luxembourg has the second lowest ratio of healthcare expenditure to GDP, this is a reflection of the high level of GDP in Luxembourg.
Across the EU as a whole, it is estimated that healthcare expenditure amounted to 10% of GDP in 2016.
Healthcare expenditure and GDP are both influenced by price changes and so, when combining the two indicators in a ratio, the impact of inflation may be cancelled out to some degree: this depends on the extent to which the price changes related to healthcare expenditure are similar to those experienced for the economy as a whole.
For more information:
- Eurostat Statistics Explained article on healthcare expenditure statistics
- Overview of statistics on health
- The source data can be found in Eurostat table hlth_sha11_hf.
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