As the world undergoes climate change and new viral infections get discovered, healthcare systems are finding hard to cope up, constrained by their resources.
Still, the countries that fare much better in happiness, ease of living and doing business, are also those that spend a large part of their GDP on healthcare. Free healthcare has become a prerogative in most countries, and citizens are demanding it as a fundamental right under law.
But how do healthcare systems compare across the world? Is your country amongst the top spenders on healthcare in the world? Are you getting free healthcare in return for the taxes you pay?
UK’s top medical recruiter, ID Medical have ranked OECD countries on metrics such as healthcare spend, number of hospital beds, doctors and nurses per capita and average life expectancy to reveal which countries have the world’s best healthcare
According to the data, Japan has the best healthcare system overall, scoring an impressive 72 out of 100.
Japan spends 10.7% of GDP on its healthcare system, has 1.6 million hospital beds and 1.7 million doctors and nurses, all contributing to a life expectancy of 85.77. This is in contrast to the life expectancy in India of 68.5.
We look at the top organisations, what they spend and the value for money that gives patients in those nations.
After Japan, the highest life expectancy is 82.4, in both Australia and Italy. The UK’s life expectancy is 80.9.
Which nation spends the most on its healthcare system?
Switzerland spends the most on healthcare, per capita, at $9,000. That is equivalent to 12.3% of the country’s GDP. India currently spends 1.4% of GDP on public healthcare.
The country that spends the highest percentage of its GDP on healthcare is Italy, with 18.9%, followed by Switzerland, France and Germany.
Who gets the best value for money?
Despite the UK spending more on healthcare, per capita, than Finland, Spain, Iceland and Latvia, these countries still outrank the UK in their healthcare systems overall. Meaning the UK gets worse value for money that all these countries.
Latvia spends the least, per capita, on healthcare yet still ranks 8th overall, meaning significant value for money in its healthcare system.
With the exception of Canada, the countries with the highest spend also score the highest for their healthcare systems overall.
Infographic Sponsor: ID Medical is the UK’s leading multidisciplinary healthcare recruiter. Formed in 2002, it now works with over 90% of NHS trusts, in addition to private medical organizations. It’s offering spans doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
