External health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): External health expenditure was 15.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
External health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 15.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 14.8% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 15.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2001.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 9th out of 42 groups 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 in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.2% | — |
| 2001 | 6.2% | -14.6% |
| 2002 | 7.4% | +19.7% |
| 2003 | 8.5% | +14.6% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 12.9% | +37.9% |
| 2006 | 11.6% | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 11.8% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 12.5% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 13.4% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 13.3% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | +9.5% |
| 2014 | 12.9% | -11.4% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 12.3% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 13.4% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 13.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 15.5% | +14.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.1% | 6.2% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.2% | 12.3% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 13.4% | 15.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- External health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 15.5% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 15.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest external health expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2001.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for external health expenditure?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 9th out of 42 groups with data for 2023.
- Is external health expenditure rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.
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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.