Share of population with very large health spending in United States

United States: Share of population with very large health spending was 0.9% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
0.9%
Change on year
up 21.9%
World rank
42nd
of 63 countries
All-time high
1.1%
in 2000
All-time low
0.7%
in 2016
Years of data
24
1996–2021

Share of population with very large health spending in United States, 1996–2021

00.250.50.7511996200820211996: 0.91 %1997: 0.81 %1998: 0.97 %1999: 1 %2000: 1.1 %2001: 1 %2002: 0.99 %2003: 0.95 %2004: 0.89 %2005: 0.97 %2006: 0.82 %2008: 0.72 %2009: 0.73 %2011: 0.85 %2012: 0.86 %2013: 0.78 %2014: 0.74 %2015: 0.77 %2016: 0.66 %2017: 0.73 %2018: 0.77 %2019: 0.74 %2020: 0.73 %2021: 0.89 %

Source: World Health Organisation and World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population with very large health spending in United States is 0.9%, measured in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.9% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population with very large health spending in United States peaked at 1.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2016.

That places United States 42nd out of 63 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Share of population with very large health spending in United States, year by year

Annual values for Share of population with very large health spending in United States, 1996 to 2021.
Year % Change
1996 0.9%
1997 0.8% -11.0%
1998 1.0% +19.8%
1999 1.0% +7.2%
2000 1.1% +3.8%
2001 1.0% -6.5%
2002 1.0% -2.0%
2003 0.9% -4.0%
2004 0.9% -6.3%
2005 1.0% +9.0%
2006 0.8% -15.5%
2008 0.7% -12.2%
2009 0.7% +1.4%
2011 0.8% +16.4%
2012 0.9% +1.2%
2013 0.8% -9.3%
2014 0.7% -5.1%
2015 0.8% +4.1%
2016 0.7% -14.3%
2017 0.7% +10.6%
2018 0.8% +5.5%
2019 0.7% -3.9%
2020 0.7% -1.4%
2021 0.9% +21.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.9% 0.8% 1.0% 4
2000s 0.9% 0.7% 1.1% 9
2010s 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 9
2020s 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 2

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 39 Morocco 0.9% compare
  2. 39 Russia 0.9% compare
  3. 39 Sri Lanka 0.9% compare
  4. 43 Czechia 0.8% compare
  5. 43 Kyrgyzstan 0.8% compare
  6. 45 Canada 0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 63 places →

More health data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population with very large health spending in United States?
Share of population with very large health spending in United States was 0.9% in 2021, according to World Health Organisation and World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population with very large health spending recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of population with very large health spending recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2016.
How does United States rank for share of population with very large health spending?
United States ranks 42nd out of 63 countries with data for 2021.
Is share of population with very large health spending rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organisation and World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with very large health spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population with very large health spending in United States. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organisation and World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/large-household-expenditures-health/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population with very large health spending
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organisation and World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
63 places, 733 data points, 1985–2021
Last refreshed

Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health (greater than 25%) as a share of total household expenditure or income (%).