Paris [France], November 16: Member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) spent 9.3% of their GDP on health in 2024, less than the peak during COVID-19, but higher than pre-pandemic levels. In 16 OECD countries, health spending accounts for at least 10% of GDP, and in the average OECD country, public spending on health represents 15% of government expenditure, according to a new OECD report.
OECD Health at a Glance 2025 says that public spending on health is set to grow on average by 1.5% of GDP by 2045 across the OECD, driven largely by technological change, rising expectations of what healthcare can achieve and population ageing. Financing these higher public spending needs may be challenging, given competing policy priorities and public finance constraints. A renewed focus on value-for-money is important, with preventive interventions playing a key role.
Life expectancy averaged 81.1 years across OECD countries in 2023 but remained below pre-pandemic levels in 13 OECD countries. In total, there were over three million premature deaths in 2023 among people aged under 75 that could have been avoided through better prevention and healthcare interventions. Diseases of the circulatory system, such as coronary heart disease, and cancer are the two leading causes of death, accounting for almost half of all deaths in OECD countries.
Obesity rates continued to rise in over four-fifths of OECD countries between 2013 and 2023, with 54% of adults overweight or obese, on average. Harmful alcohol use is also a concern, with 27% of adults reporting binge drinking at least once a month. While smoking rates have fallen, 15% of adults still smoke daily, and vaping rates are increasing. These risk factors extend to children. For example, among 15-year-olds, 20% were overweight or obese, 15% smoked and 20% vaped at least monthly.
Health indicators show continued improvement in the quality of acute care services. The chance of survival after a heart attack or stroke is higher now than a decade ago, for example: 30-day mortality rates following a heart attack averaged 6.5% in 2023, down from 8.2% in 2013, and for ischaemic stroke the figures were 7.7% in 2023 and 9.3% in 2013.
Source: Emirates News Agency
