AIHW releases Health expenditure Australia 2017–18

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released report on health expenditure in Australia for 2017–18.

In 2017–18:

• Total health spending was $185.4 billion, equating to $7,485 per person
• Health spending increased by 1.2%, which was lower than the decade average of 3.9%.
• The majority of health spending went on hospitals (40%) and primary health care (34%).
• Health spending accounted for 10% of overall economic activity.

In 2017–18, personal out-of-pocket health costs amounted to an average of $1,578 per person. There was little change in the proportion of individual net worth spent on health over the decade. Contributions to health spending by private health insurers rose by $400 million to $16.6 billion in 2017–18. The total number of people holding private health insurance with hospital treatment coverage increased by almost 2 million over the decade.

Read more

• Health Expenditure Australia 2017-18. AIHW. September 2019