Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people) in North America
North America: Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people) was 0.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in North America, 2003–2022
Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.
Analysis
In 2022, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in North America stood at 0.3%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.6% on the previous year and down 57.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in North America peaked at 1.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2022.
North America ranks 39th of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people) in North America, year by year
| Year | % of people at risk | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1.0% | — |
| 2004 | 0.8% | -20.0% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | +23.7% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -20.0% |
| 2008 | 0.8% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -25.0% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | +14.0% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +12.1% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -12.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -13.9% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -47.2% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -3.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people) in North America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -47.2% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near North America
More health data for North America
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 0.825 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0358 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 0.6142 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0326 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in North America?
- Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in North America was 0.3% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
- What is the highest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2022.
- How does North America rank for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care?
- North America ranks 39th out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
- Is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The proportion of population at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required. Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.