Other services

Estimated total spending on other services in 2020–21 was $15.2 billion. Of this:

  • $5.3 billion was spent on administration
  • $5.2 billion on aids and appliances
  • $4.8 billion on patient transport services (Table A6).

Overall:

  • non-government entities contributed $7.0 billion
  • state and territory governments $4.3 billion
  • Australian Government $3.9 billion (Figure 29).

Figure 29: Other services(a) spending, by source of funds, constant prices(b), 2010–11 to 2020–21

The line graph shows that spending on other services by Australian Government, state and territory government and non-government sector over the decade to 2020–21. Non-government spending increased from $5.3 billion in 2010–11 to $6.6 billion in 2018–19, then declined to $6.3 billion in 2019–20 before increased again to $6.9 billion in 2020–21. Australian Government spending increased less steadily, spiking to $3.7 billion in 2011–12 then decreasing to $3.0 billion in the following year, before gradually increasing to $4.0 billion in 2018–19, then was flat around $3.9 billion in 2019–20 and 2020–21. State and territory government spending increased every year except for 2012–13 and 2018–19 and was $2.9 billion in 2010–11 compared to $4.3 billion in 2020–21.

Compared with 2019–20, spending on other services increased in real terms by $0.8 billion (5.6%) in 2020–21. This growth was attributable mainly to an increase in non-government entities’ spending of $0.7 billion (10.7%). Spending by state and territory governments increased by $0.2 billion (3.8%) while Australian Government spending slightly decreased by $0.03 billion (0.6%).

In the decade since 2010–11, the real average annual growth rate on other services was 2.9%.