Per Capita Health Care Costs of Other First World Countries, 1960-1997

United States

1997

1996

1995

1994

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

Gross Domestic Product (in $ billions)

8111

7662

7270

6947

5744

4181

2784

1631

1036

719

527

Health Care Costs (in $ billions)

1088

1039

993

948

699

429

247

131

73

41

27

Health Care costs as percent of GDP

13.4%

13.6%

13.7%

13.6%

12.2%

10.3%

8.9%

8.0%

7.1%

5.7%

5.1%

Population (in millions)

278

276

273

271

260

247

235

225

215

204

190

Per Capita Health Care costs (in current $)

3,925

3,781

3,637

3,500

2,690

1,735

1,052

582

341

202

141

Other First World Countries - Per Capita Health Care Costs (in current $) - data from Health and Human Services Handbook "Health, United States, 1999"

1997

1996

1995

1994

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

Switzerland

2,547

2,499

2,403

2,280

1,782

1,297

850

523

270

137

93

Luxembourg

2,340

2,139

2,077

1,962

1,499

895

617

315

150

*

*

Germany

2,339

2,278

2,128

2,020

1,642

1,274

860

498

230

127

91

Canada

2,095

2,065

2,029

2,005

1,691

1,206

729

433

255

151

105

France.

2,051

1,983

1,971

1,868

1,539

1,088

716

398

208

121

73

Iceland

2,005

1,893

1,789

1,571

1,375

929

637

295

139

85

50

Denmark

1,848

1,802

1,708

1,344

1,069

816

595

348

215

120

67

Netherlands

1,838

1,766

1,743

1,643

1,325

932

693

408

205

99

68

Norway

1,814

1,928

1,809

1,754

1,365

910

639

308

135

74

47

Australia

1,805

1,775

1,699

1,609

1,316

989

669

443

212

125

98

Austria

1,793

1,748

1,641

1,573

1,180

815

697

377

166

92

67

Belgium

1,747

1,708

1,664

1,653

1,247

890

588

311

131

82

53

Japan

1,741

1,677

1,576

1,454

1,082

823

535

269

132

64

27

Sweden

1,728

1,675

1,590

1,339

1,492

1,174

867

476

274

146

90

Italy

1,589

1,584

1,503

1,559

1,322

834

591

295

157

81

50

Finland

1,447

1,380

1,370

1,289

1,292

852

521

312

165

92

55

New Zealand

1,352

1,270

1,238

1,151

937

592

463

358

177

*

92

UnitedKingdom

1,347

1,317

1,234

1,213

957

670

453

278

149

98

77

Ireland

1,324

1,276

1,204

1,201

748

586

468

240

98

52

37

Spain

1,168

1,115

1,042

992

813

455

332

190

83

37

14

Greece

974

888

703

634

389

288

190

106

60

27

16

Average First World Per Capita Health Care Costs

$1,757

$1,703

$1,625

$1,529

$1,241

$872

$605

$342

$172

$95

$64

Number of countries in average

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

21

19

20

Average First World Per Capita Costs as a Percentage of U.S. Per Capita Costs

44.8%

45.0%

44.7%

43.7%

46.1%

50.3%

57.5%

58.8%

50.4%

47.2%

45.0%

The dollar figures for the years shown are taken from Table 115 on page 283 of the handbook Heath, United States, 1999, published by the National Center for Health Statistics. In the handbook Health, United States, 2000, the U.S. per capita cost was changed to $3,912.