Out-of-pocket health expenditure — all countries

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

Out-of-pocket health expenditure in upper-middle-income countries in 2023 — 30.38%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 7.63 pp.

2023 30.38% −0.44 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 38.57%2003
Period minimum 30.11%2021

Trend over time

2000–2023 · % of health expenditure

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Upper-middle-income countries, 2000–20233032.53537.5402000200320062009201220152018202120232000: 38.01%2001: 37.99%2002: 38.39%2003: 38.57%2004: 37.81%2005: 38.02%2006: 37.64%2007: 36.78%2008: 36.34%2009: 35.15%2010: 34.86%2011: 35.01%2012: 34.71%2013: 34.6%2014: 33.94%2015: 33.85%2016: 32.86%2017: 33.14%2018: 32.61%2019: 32.08%2020: 30.42%2021: 30.11%2022: 30.82%2023: 30.38%
Change over the period: −7.63 pp Annual average: -0.33 pp

Comparison, 2023

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

Upper-middle-income countries 30.38%
World 17.33%
Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Upper-middle-income countries, by year Upper-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 30.38 −0.44 pp
2022 30.82 +0.71 pp
2021 30.11 −0.31 pp
2020 30.42 −1.66 pp
2019 32.08 −0.52 pp
2018 32.61 −0.54 pp
2017 33.14 +0.28 pp
2016 32.86 −0.99 pp
2015 33.85 −0.09 pp
2014 33.94 −0.66 pp
2013 34.6 −0.11 pp
2012 34.71 −0.3 pp
2011 35.01 +0.15 pp
2010 34.86 −0.29 pp
2009 35.15 −1.19 pp
2008 36.34 −0.44 pp
2007 36.78 −0.86 pp
2006 37.64 −0.38 pp
2005 38.02 +0.21 pp
2004 37.81 −0.76 pp
2003 38.57 +0.18 pp
2002 38.39 +0.39 pp
2001 37.99 −0.02 pp
2000 38.01

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.