HC Deb 16 June 1988 vol 135 c293W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of gross domestic product each member of the European Community devoted to health care in 1987.

Mr. Newton

International comparisons of expenditure on health care are not available for 1987. Comparative data for 1985, the latest year for which comprehensive data are available from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, are as follows:

Expenditure on Health Care as a Percentage of GDP, 1985
Country Public Private Total
Belgium 5.5 1.7 7.2
France 6.7 1.7 8.4
Denmark 5.2 1.0 6.2
Germany 6.4 1.8 8.2
Greece 4.1 0.1 4.2
Ireland 6.9 1.6 8.0
Italy 5.4 1.3 6.7
Netherlands 6.5 1.8 8.3
Portugal 4.1 1.6 5.7
Spain 4.3 1.7 6.0
United Kingdom 5.2 0.8 6.0

Source: OECD.

Note: Luxemburg is excluded from the table because of inconsistencies in the national health accounts.