§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the percentage of gross domestic product spent on health in the United Kingdom, France West Germany, the United States of America, Canada 584W Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, respectively, in the last five years for which figures are available; and what was the proportion of health expenditure financed from the public sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeDifference between the health care and health financing systems of developed countries mean that precise comparisons are difficult. However an OECD report which is in preparation gives the following estimates of the percentage of gross domestic product spent on health care for 1975 and 1980. Figures for intervening years are not available. Figures of this kind provide no more than a very rough and ready guide to relative levels of expenditure. They should not be used as a measure of differences in the levels of provision.
Percentage Share of Health Expenditure in GDP 1975 1980 United Kingdom 5.6 5.7 France 7.1 8.0 West Germany 8.4 8.0 USA 8.6 9.5 Canada 7.4 7.2 Australia 7.6 7.5 New Zealand 5.3 5.7 Sweden 8.0 9.6 Netherlands 7.7 8.3 Italy 7.4 6.5 The 1982 figure for the United Kingdom is 5.9.
The proportion of total health expenditure which was financed by public expenditure in 1980, which has been derived from the results of the OECD work, is as follows. It should be noted that tax expenditures—deductions from personal income tax allowed to offset exceptional medical outlays—which are relatively important in the United States, are not included in the estimates of public expenditure on health.
Proportion of Health Expenditure Financed from the public Sector 1980 per cent. United Kingdom 91.2 France 76.2 West Germany 77.5 USA 42.1 Canada 77.7 Australia 62.7 New Zealand 84.2 Sweden 91.7 Netherlands 78.3 Italy 89.2