Government health spending as a share of GDP in United States of America
United States of America: Government health spending as a share of GDP was 14.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
14.6%
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
1st
of 59 countries
All-time high
15.8%
in 2020
All-time low
0.1%
in 1880
Years of data
72
1880–2025
Government health spending as a share of GDP in United States of America, 1880–2025
Source: OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United States of America recorded 14.6% for government health spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government health spending as a share of gdp in United States of America peaked at 15.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1880.
United States of America ranks 1st of 59 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government health spending as a share of GDP in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.1% | — |
| 1890 | 0.1% | +55.6% |
| 1900 | 0.2% | +21.4% |
| 1910 | 0.3% | +52.9% |
| 1920 | 0.4% | +53.8% |
| 1930 | 0.3% | -15.0% |
| 1960 | 1.1% | +223.1% |
| 1961 | 1.2% | +6.1% |
| 1962 | 1.2% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 1.2% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 1.5% | +20.3% |
| 1967 | 2.0% | +33.6% |
| 1968 | 2.1% | +6.5% |
| 1969 | 2.2% | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 2.3% | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +4.7% |
| 1972 | 2.5% | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 2.8% | +9.1% |
| 1975 | 3.0% | +7.9% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 3.1% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 3.5% | +7.5% |
| 1981 | 3.6% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 3.8% | +6.8% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 3.8% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 4.0% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 4.1% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 4.1% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 4.3% | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 4.5% | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 5.0% | +10.0% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 5.5% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 5.7% | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 5.7% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 5.5% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 6.0% | +7.6% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 7.8% | +8.8% |
| 2010 | 7.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 7.9% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | +69.3% |
| 2015 | 13.6% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 13.8% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 15.8% | +14.3% |
| 2021 | 14.6% | -7.3% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | -4.3% |
| 2023 | 14.1% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 14.6% | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1960s | 1.5% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 4.5% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.6% | 5.5% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.4% | 7.9% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.6% | 14.0% | 15.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More health data for United States of America
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,069 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 4.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0198 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 4.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0168 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government health spending as a share of gdp in United States of America?
- Government health spending as a share of gdp in United States of America was 14.6% in 2025, according to OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1880.
- How does United States of America rank for government health spending as a share of gdp?
- United States of America ranks 1st out of 59 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government health spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government health spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public health expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.