Out-of-pocket health expenditure — all countries

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Northern Europe

Out-of-pocket health expenditure in Northern Europe in 2023 — 18.35%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 2.94 pp.

2023 18.35% +0.17 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 21.29%2001
Period minimum 17.51%2021

Trend over time

2000–2023 · % of health expenditure

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Northern Europe, 2000–20231718192021222000200320062009201220152018202120232000: 21.29%2001: 21.29%2002: 20.8%2003: 20.81%2004: 20.91%2005: 20.99%2006: 20.08%2007: 19.69%2008: 19.33%2009: 19.26%2010: 19.73%2011: 19.21%2012: 19.87%2013: 20.32%2014: 20.2%2015: 20.42%2016: 20.7%2017: 20.56%2018: 20.03%2019: 19.45%2020: 17.72%2021: 17.51%2022: 18.18%2023: 18.35%
Change over the period: −2.94 pp Annual average: -0.13 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Northern Europe

Northern Europe 18.35%
World 17.33%
Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Northern Europe, by year Northern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 18.35 +0.17 pp
2022 18.18 +0.67 pp
2021 17.51 −0.22 pp
2020 17.72 −1.73 pp
2019 19.45 −0.58 pp
2018 20.03 −0.53 pp
2017 20.56 −0.14 pp
2016 20.7 +0.28 pp
2015 20.42 +0.22 pp
2014 20.2 −0.12 pp
2013 20.32 +0.45 pp
2012 19.87 +0.65 pp
2011 19.21 −0.51 pp
2010 19.73 +0.47 pp
2009 19.26 −0.07 pp
2008 19.33 −0.36 pp
2007 19.69 −0.39 pp
2006 20.08 −0.91 pp
2005 20.99 +0.08 pp
2004 20.91 +0.1 pp
2003 20.81 +0.01 pp
2002 20.8 −0.5 pp
2001 21.29 +0.01 pp
2000 21.29

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.