Overview

Good health and wellbeing is important – it influences not just how a person feels, but has impacts for society as a whole. The availability and quality of health and welfare programs are central to delivering these outcomes, but difficult to evaluate. Information about expenditure on health and welfare gives an indication of the priority placed on these goods and services among all others in the economy. In Australia, more is spent on health and welfare, both in dollar terms and as a proportion of spending overall, than any other type of expenditure.

Featured summary

Total health expenditure was $220.9 billion, equating to $8,617 per person or/ 10.7%/ of total economic activity\t
Government health spending increased by 7.3% while non-government spending rebounded to increase by 6.4%
In 2020–21, spending on hospitals was $89.7 billion, a real increase of 4.9% compared with the previous year
In 2020–21, spending on primary health care was $73.4 billion, a real increase of 10.1% compared with 2019–20

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Latest findings

Musculoskeletal disorders are responsible for more health spending than any other group of conditions ($14.6 billion)

Cardiovascular diseases ($12.7 billion) and cancer and other neoplasms ($12.1 billion) ranked 2nd and 3rd highest

Total health expenditure was $220.9 billion, equating to $8,617 per person or 10.7% of total economic activity

The proportion of health spending funded by Individuals continued to decline in 2020–21

Australians have been receiving more MBS funded services per person over time

The proportion of fees subsidised through the MBS declined over recent months - after 15 years of relative stability