Out-of-pocket health expenditure — all countries

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Lower-middle-income countries

Out-of-pocket health expenditure in lower-middle-income countries in 2023 — 36.61%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 8.79 pp.

2023 36.61% +1.47 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 45.4%2000
Period minimum 34.48%2021

Trend over time

2000–2023 · % of health expenditure

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Lower-middle-income countries, 2000–202330354045502000200320062009201220152018202120232000: 45.4%2001: 44.87%2002: 44.55%2003: 44.61%2004: 43.88%2005: 43.06%2006: 41.87%2007: 41.97%2008: 41.26%2009: 40.19%2010: 40.56%2011: 39.93%2012: 39.21%2013: 39.05%2014: 38.3%2015: 38.49%2016: 38.87%2017: 38.18%2018: 38.99%2019: 38%2020: 36.3%2021: 34.48%2022: 35.14%2023: 36.61%
Change over the period: −8.79 pp Annual average: -0.38 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Lower-middle-income countries

Lower-middle-income countries 36.61%
World 17.33%
Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 36.61 +1.47 pp
2022 35.14 +0.66 pp
2021 34.48 −1.82 pp
2020 36.3 −1.7 pp
2019 38 −0.99 pp
2018 38.99 +0.81 pp
2017 38.18 −0.69 pp
2016 38.87 +0.38 pp
2015 38.49 +0.19 pp
2014 38.3 −0.75 pp
2013 39.05 −0.17 pp
2012 39.21 −0.71 pp
2011 39.93 −0.63 pp
2010 40.56 +0.37 pp
2009 40.19 −1.07 pp
2008 41.26 −0.71 pp
2007 41.97 +0.1 pp
2006 41.87 −1.19 pp
2005 43.06 −0.82 pp
2004 43.88 −0.73 pp
2003 44.61 +0.06 pp
2002 44.55 −0.32 pp
2001 44.87 −0.53 pp
2000 45.4

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.