Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America

United States of America: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health was 25.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
25.9%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
1st
of 129 countries
All-time high
26.5%
in 2022
All-time low
18.0%
in 2000
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America, 2000–2023

01020302000201120232000: 182001: 18.62002: 192003: 19.22004: 19.82005: 19.72006: 20.32007: 20.62008: 20.12009: 20.22010: 20.52011: 212012: 21.52013: 22.12014: 23.22015: 24.12016: 24.42017: 24.52018: 24.62019: 24.92020: 22.42021: 22.82022: 26.52023: 25.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2023, proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America stood at 25.9%.

The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America peaked at 26.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2000.

That places United States of America 1st out of 129 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.

Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health (%) in United States of America, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 18.0%
2001 18.6% +3.2%
2002 19.0% +2.4%
2003 19.2% +1.3%
2004 19.8% +2.8%
2005 19.7% -0.6%
2006 20.3% +3.0%
2007 20.6% +1.5%
2008 20.1% -2.2%
2009 20.2% +0.2%
2010 20.5% +1.7%
2011 21.0% +2.3%
2012 21.5% +2.7%
2013 22.1% +2.9%
2014 23.2% +4.8%
2015 24.1% +4.0%
2016 24.4% +1.2%
2017 24.5% +0.5%
2018 24.6% +0.2%
2019 24.9% +1.1%
2020 22.4% -10.0%
2021 22.8% +1.8%
2022 26.5% +16.3%
2023 25.9% -2.5%

United States of America compared with similar countries

  • United States of America's 25.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 14.2%, 1.8× the median. (54 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.5% 18.0% 20.6% 10
2010s 23.1% 20.5% 24.9% 10
2020s 24.4% 22.4% 26.5% 4

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 2 Andorra 23.1% compare
  2. 3 Ireland 22.8% compare
  3. 4 Canada 21.9% compare

See the full ranking of 133 places →

More health data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America was 25.9% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, health recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 26.5% in 2022.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, health recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2000.
How does United States of America rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, health?
United States of America ranks 1st out of 129 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, health rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-health-percent/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, health (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
133 places, 2,467 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed