External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure) in Samoa
Samoa: External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure) was 16.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
External health expenditure in Samoa, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external health expenditure in Samoa is 16.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and down 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external health expenditure in Samoa peaked at 23.4% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2001.
That places Samoa 44th out of 177 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure) in Samoa, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.4% | — |
| 2001 | 3.3% | -24.3% |
| 2002 | 9.8% | +194.8% |
| 2003 | 17.1% | +75.3% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | -9.8% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -51.1% |
| 2009 | 8.9% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 11.1% | +24.8% |
| 2011 | 18.8% | +68.7% |
| 2012 | 6.8% | -64.0% |
| 2013 | 23.4% | +246.5% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | -49.6% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | +59.2% |
| 2016 | 20.4% | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 11.2% | -45.2% |
| 2018 | 8.7% | -21.7% |
| 2019 | 11.6% | +32.1% |
| 2020 | 13.2% | +14.5% |
| 2021 | 16.3% | +23.3% |
| 2022 | 16.0% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 16.5% | +3.0% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 16.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 15.9× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 16.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.3%, 1.6× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure) in Samoa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +246.5% | 6.8% | 23.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.1% | 3.3% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 6.8% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.5% | 13.2% | 16.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
More health data for Samoa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 17 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0591 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0634 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external health expenditure in Samoa?
- External health expenditure in Samoa was 16.5% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest external health expenditure recorded in Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2013.
- What is the lowest external health expenditure recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2001.
- How does Samoa rank for external health expenditure?
- Samoa ranks 44th out of 177 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external health expenditure rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Samoa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from external sources. External sources compose of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country. External sources either flow through the government scheme or are channeled through non-governmental organizations or other schemes.