Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay

Uruguay: Health spending as a share of total government spending was 21.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
21.4%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
7th
of 195 countries
All-time high
21.7%
in 2021
All-time low
13.3%
in 2005
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay, 2000–2023

051015202000201120232000: 14.3 %2001: 15.8 %2002: 16.7 %2003: 18.1 %2004: 16.2 %2005: 13.3 %2006: 13.7 %2007: 13.5 %2008: 17.3 %2009: 17.3 %2010: 17.3 %2011: 18.5 %2012: 18.6 %2013: 18.6 %2014: 18.8 %2015: 19.9 %2016: 20.2 %2017: 20.3 %2018: 20.3 %2019: 20.1 %2020: 19.8 %2021: 21.7 %2022: 20.9 %2023: 21.4 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay is 21.4%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay peaked at 21.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 2005.

That places Uruguay 7th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay, year by year

Annual values for Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 14.3%
2001 15.8% +9.8%
2002 16.7% +6.3%
2003 18.1% +8.0%
2004 16.2% -10.2%
2005 13.3% -18.3%
2006 13.7% +3.2%
2007 13.5% -1.2%
2008 17.3% +28.0%
2009 17.3% -0.3%
2010 17.3% -0.1%
2011 18.5% +7.2%
2012 18.6% +0.8%
2013 18.6% -0.0%
2014 18.8% +1.0%
2015 19.9% +5.9%
2016 20.2% +1.6%
2017 20.3% +0.4%
2018 20.3% -0.3%
2019 20.1% -0.8%
2020 19.8% -1.4%
2021 21.7% +9.3%
2022 20.9% -3.4%
2023 21.4% +2.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.6% 13.3% 18.1% 10
2010s 19.3% 17.3% 20.3% 10
2020s 21.0% 19.8% 21.7% 4

Countries ranked near Uruguay

  1. 4 United States of America 23.0% compare
  2. 5 Ireland 22.2% compare
  3. 6 Paraguay 21.6% compare
  4. 8 Australia 21.0% compare
  5. 9 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 20.0% compare
  6. 10 Cuba 20.0% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More health data for Uruguay

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay?
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay was 21.4% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Uruguay?
The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Uruguay?
The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 2005.
How does Uruguay rank for health spending as a share of total government spending?
Uruguay ranks 7th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is health spending as a share of total government spending rising or falling in Uruguay?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uruguay data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Health spending as a share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Health spending as a share of total government spending in Uruguay. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/health-expenditure-government-expenditure/uruguay/

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About this data

Indicator
Health spending as a share of total government spending
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 4,588 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic general government health expenditure expressed as a percentage of total expenditure of the general government.