OECD Analysis: Australia’s Spending On Health Is Much Lower Than In The US

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Australia’s health spending is slightly lower than the average of developed countries but is well below that of the United States, according to analysis by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Total health spending accounted for 9.1% of GDP in Australia in 2011-2012, slightly lower than the average of 9.3% in OECD countries in 2012. But Australian spending was much lower than the United States, which spent 16.9% of its GDP on health in 2012, and in a number of European countries including the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Germany (which all spend more than 11%). The public sector is the main source of health funding in nearly all OECD countries. In Australia, 68% of health spending was funded by public sources in 2011-2012, below the average of 72% in OECD countries.