Out-of-pocket health expenditure — all countries

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Europe & Central Asia

Out-of-pocket health expenditure in Europe & Central Asia in 2023 — 16.5%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 0.73 pp.

2023 16.5% +0.18 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 17.93%2013
Period minimum 15.6%2020

Trend over time

2000–2023 · % of health expenditure

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Europe & Central Asia, 2000–2023151617182000200320062009201220152018202120232000: 17.23%2001: 17.04%2002: 16.84%2003: 16.67%2004: 16.85%2005: 16.65%2006: 16.81%2007: 17.18%2008: 17.19%2009: 16.68%2010: 17.2%2011: 17.46%2012: 17.81%2013: 17.93%2014: 17.87%2015: 17.81%2016: 17.51%2017: 17.83%2018: 17.68%2019: 17.65%2020: 15.6%2021: 16.05%2022: 16.32%2023: 16.5%
Change over the period: −0.73 pp Annual average: -0.03 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Europe & Central Asia

Europe & Central Asia 16.5%
World 17.33%
Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Europe & Central Asia, by year Europe & Central Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 16.5 +0.18 pp
2022 16.32 +0.27 pp
2021 16.05 +0.45 pp
2020 15.6 −2.05 pp
2019 17.65 −0.03 pp
2018 17.68 −0.15 pp
2017 17.83 +0.32 pp
2016 17.51 −0.3 pp
2015 17.81 −0.06 pp
2014 17.87 −0.06 pp
2013 17.93 +0.12 pp
2012 17.81 +0.35 pp
2011 17.46 +0.26 pp
2010 17.2 +0.51 pp
2009 16.68 −0.5 pp
2008 17.19 +0.01 pp
2007 17.18 +0.36 pp
2006 16.81 +0.16 pp
2005 16.65 −0.2 pp
2004 16.85 +0.18 pp
2003 16.67 −0.17 pp
2002 16.84 −0.2 pp
2001 17.04 −0.19 pp
2000 17.23

About the indicator

Payments people make for medical care directly at the point of use — as a percent of all current health expenditure in the country. Insurance contributions and taxes are excluded: only what a person takes out of their pocket at the counter. The indicator is considered a key measure of financial protection: the higher it is, the more often illness means ruin, and WHO tracks it as an indicator of the risk of catastrophic household spending.

Important: A high value means weak protection, not an active private sector: voluntary insurance is not part of this indicator, so a country with developed private insurance can have a low share of out-of-pocket payments.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.