OECD: Health Spending Set to Outpace GDP Growth
A new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report has found health spending is set to outpace GDP growth in almost every OECD country.
Health spending per capita will grow at an average annual rate of 2.7% across the OECD and will reach 10.2% of GDP by 2030, up from 8.8% in 2018, according to the new report.
According to the report titled “Health at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators” the United States spends the most of their GDP on health followed by Switzerland.
The report also highlights several worrying patterns in health and lifestyle.
- Life expectancy gains are slowing down in all OECD countries.
- The reason for this includes the growing NCD burden, and addiction related deaths, such as opioid overdoses.
- Smoking, alcohol use and obesity are also causing premature death and worsening quality of life.
- Smoking rates are declining, but 18% of adults still smoke daily.
- Alcohol consumption averaged 9 litres of pure alcohol per person per year across OECD countries, equivalent to almost 100 bottles of wine. Nearly 4% of adults were alcohol dependent.
- Obesity rates continue to rise in most OECD countries, with 56% of adults overweight or obese and almost one-third of children aged 5-9 overweight.
- Air pollution caused about 40 deaths per 100,000 people across OECD countries. Death rates were much higher in countries like India and China, at around 140 deaths per 100,000 people.
The report argues more attention should be placed on patient-reported outcomes and experiences.
Health systems can and must do better to improve the health of our populations. Measuring how health systems change people’s lives for the better is essential if we are to put resources where they can have most effect,” said Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, as per OECD Website.
IOGT International previously reported on the OECD Health at a Glance review for 2019. The report found alcohol to be a leading cause for death and disability worldwide.