Domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Domestic private health expenditure was 44.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 44.6%.
That represents a change of down 3.6% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 61.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 23rd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60.9% | — |
| 2001 | 61.6% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 61.2% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 58.3% | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 56.1% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 52.4% | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 52.5% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 52.0% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 52.4% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 49.8% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 48.8% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 49.1% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 50.2% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 51.3% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 51.6% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 51.2% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 48.8% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 47.5% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 46.3% | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 43.5% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 44.7% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 46.3% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 44.6% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 55.7% | 49.8% | 61.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.4% | 46.3% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.8% | 43.5% | 46.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 15-64, male, annual growth rate 3.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.4038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.2837 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate 3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per capita 0.2801 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Domestic private health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa was 44.6% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest domestic private health expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 61.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest domestic private health expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for domestic private health expenditure?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 23rd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is domestic private health expenditure rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Domestic private health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from domestic private sources. Domestic private sources include funds from households, corporations and non-profit organizations. Such expenditures can be either prepaid to voluntary health insurance or paid directly to healthcare providers.