What is the most expensive country in the world for healthcare?

Asked by: Alisha Denesik  |  Last update: November 21, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (39 votes)

The United States: the world's highest medical expenses The United States has the most expensive healthcare system of any country. A medical consultation with a general practitioner costs, on average, $190 or around €170. A stay in hospital can result in bills amounting to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Which country has the highest cost of healthcare?

Health Expenditure in the U.S.

The United States is the highest spending country worldwide when it comes to health care. In 2022, total health expenditure in the U.S. exceeded four trillion dollars. Expenditure as a percentage of GDP is projected to increase to approximately 20 percent by the year 2031.

Which country has the highest paying healthcare?

Topping our list is Luxembourg, a small yet prosperous country known for its thriving economy and high standard of living. Doctors in Luxembourg enjoy some of the highest salaries in the world, along with excellent working conditions and ample opportunities for professional growth.

Which country has the most expensive medical treatment in the world?

  • Nov 29, 2023. Countries with most expensive healthcare. ...
  • ​Healthcare and expense​ Following are the countries with some of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world. ...
  • ​United States​ ...
  • ​Switzerland​ ...
  • ​Norway​ ...
  • ​Luxembourg​ ...
  • ​Denmark​ ...
  • ​Sweden​

What country is #1 in healthcare?

The Legatum Prosperity Index 2023

According to the index, Singapore ranks first for healthcare, followed by Japan in second place and South Korea in third. In contrast, the United States ranks much lower, coming in at 69th place in this assessment.

The real reason American health care is so expensive

36 related questions found

How does US rank in health care?

The US health care system ranked last overall among 10 other high-income countries on key issues such as equity, access to care, and outcome measures, according to a new report, Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing US Health System, by The Commonwealth Fund.

Which country has the best doctors in the world?

Here are the top 10 countries known to have the best doctors according to the World Population Review 2024:
  • United Kingdom. ...
  • Germany. ...
  • France. ...
  • Switzerland. ...
  • Canada. ...
  • Italy. ...
  • Australia. ...
  • Austria. Often overshadowed by other countries, Austria has highly skilled doctors, particularly in rare diseases and palliative care.

What are the top 3 most expensive health care costs?

5 Most Expensive Diseases
  • 5 Most Expensive Diseases to Treat in the U.S. and the Annual Cost of Treatment.
  • Alzheimer's disease costs $321 billion and is expected to top $1 trillion by 2050. ...
  • Diabetes costs $237 billion, or $1 out of every $4 in U.S. health care costs. ...
  • Heart disease and stroke cost $216 billion.

Where is the cheapest healthcare in the world?

India. India is one of the most affordable countries to receive healthcare services around the world. India's national healthcare system is one of the most affordable healthcare systems in the world. The cost of a medical procedure in India is often less than half of what it costs in the United States.

What country has the most expensive medicine?

In 2022, U.S. prices across all drugs were 278 percent of prices in the 33 OECD comparison countries. Prices in the United States were higher than those in each individual comparison country (see Figure 1 for comparisons of U.S. prices with those in the G7 countries and Mexico).

Who is the highest-paid doctor in the world?

A neurosurgeon is the highest-paid doctor on our list. Neurosurgery encompasses surgery of the brain, spinal cord/column, and peripheral nerves. Aspiring neurosurgeons must complete at least a seven-year residency. The average annual compensation for neurosurgeons is $763,908, putting them at the top of our list.

Why is US healthcare so expensive?

There are many possible reasons for that increase in healthcare prices: The introduction of new, innovative healthcare technology can lead to better, more expensive procedures and products. The complexity of the U.S. healthcare system can lead to administrative waste in the insurance and provider payment systems.

What country has free healthcare?

All but 43 countries in the world have free healthcare or access to universal healthcare for at least 90% of their citizens according to Hudson's Global Residence Index. However, Brazil is the only country in the world that offers free healthcare for all its citizens.

What is the most expensive hospital in the world?

The new Royal Adelaide Hospital opened in 2017 with a $2 billion-plus cost of construction from 2011 making it the world's most expensive hospital and reported to be the world's third most expensive building. It also was touted as the most advanced hospital in the modern world.

Why doesn't the US have free healthcare?

Groups with significant economic resources have long been opposed to universal health insurance. We have a political system so sophisticated about finding the middle ground that we have had long periods in which the parties have been essentially even in their control of power in the national government.

Which country spends the least on healthcare?

The countries with the lowest governmental health expenditure include South Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh. In 2021 the U.S. national health expenditure was at an all-time high. However, the projections indicate that total health expenditures will increase even more.

Where does the US rank in healthcare?

U.S. ranks last in health care compared with nine other high-income countries, report finds. People in the U.S. die the youngest and experience the most avoidable deaths, despite spending much more on health care. By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. The health system in the U.S. is failing, a startling new report finds.

Who has the highest healthcare costs in the world?

  • The United States currently ranks highest in healthcare spending among the developed nations of the world. ...
  • Switzerland had the second-highest healthcare budget in 2022, with expenditures of $8,049 per capita. ...
  • The following 2022 list ranks the top 20 in terms of spending on healthcare per capita according to the OECD.

Which country has the cheapest surgery?

Cheapest Places to Get Plastic Surgery in the World. The cheapest countries for plastic surgery in the world include Mexico, Turkey, Thailand, Colombia, and India, where you can receive top-tier cosmetic procedures at significantly lower prices than in the U.S. or Europe.

What is the most expensive sickness in the world?

Five Most Expensive Diseases
  • Heart Disease - $193 Billion. Nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by heart disease. ...
  • Diabetes - $176 Billion. ...
  • Dementia - $159 Billion. ...
  • Cancer - $157 Billion. ...
  • Obesity - $147 Billion.

How expensive is US healthcare compared to other countries?

U.S. healthcare spending per capita is almost twice the average of other wealthy countries. Notes: Data are for 2022.

Which country has the highest chronic disease rate?

The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average. Americans see physicians less often than people in most other countries and have among the lowest rate of practicing physicians and hospital beds per 1,000 population.

Who is the richest doctor in the world?

The 5 richest physicians of 2024
  • Thomas Frist Jr., MD, $20.2 billion, founded Hospital Corp. ...
  • Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, $5.8 billion, was a practicing physician before inventing the cancer medication Abraxane.
  • Gary Michelson, MD, $1.8 billion, is a retired orthopedic and spine surgeon who holds over 340 U.S. patents.

What country pays doctors the lowest?

Madagascar. As one of the top 10 lowest paying countries for doctors, Madagascar's healthcare system is underfunded and lacks resources, leading to limited financial support for medical professionals.

Does Germany have free healthcare?

Health insurance in Germany is compulsory and provided either through statutory health insurance (SHI) or substitutive private health insurance (PHI). In 2023, the SHI system consisted of 96 sickness funds (acting as third-party payers), covering around 89% of the population.