Regular reporting of national health expenditure is vital to understanding the health system and its relationship to the economy as a whole. In 2019–20:

  • total health spending was $202.5 billion, equating to $7,926 per person
  • health spending increased by 1.8% in real terms, which was lower than the decade average of 3.4%
  • in the first year of COVID-19, government health spending increased faster while non-government spending reduced compared to previous years.
  • Cat. no: HWE 87