Global inequities in health spending are expected to persist and intensify over the next 25 years, according to a new study that estimates total health financing in countries around the world.
Published in The Lancet on April 13, 2016 “National spending on health by source for 184 countriesbetween 2013 and 2040” draws from a joint research collaboration between the World Bank Group and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
This first-of-its-kind study details total health spending and compares these data across income levels and geographies through the year 2040 for 184 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. The study also marks the first time distinct sources of health expenditure have been examined: government health spending, private spending – both out-of-pocket and prepaid health expenditures like insurance – and development assistance for health. The study reports annual estimates as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) and in purchasing-power, inflation-adjusted dollars, to maintain continuity with other health spending benchmarks.