US Health Care Spending

Total US health care spending, spending per person and its share of the economy, from the official National Health Expenditure Accounts.

Updated October 1, 2026
4 min read
2 sources
United States

Executive Summary

US health care spending grew 7.2% in 2024 to $5.3 trillion, or $15,474 per person. Health spending was 18.0% of US gross domestic product (GDP), nearly one dollar in every five the economy produced.

Key Numbers

Total spending, 2024: $5.3T[1]; US national health expenditure.
Growth vs 2023: 7.2%[1]; Annual increase in spending.
Per person: $15,474[1]; Health spending per person in 2024.
Share of GDP: 18.0%[1]; Health spending as a share of the economy.

Market Size

US health care spending reached $5.3 trillion in 2024, up 7.2% [1]. That works out to $15,474 for every person in the country [1].

Health spending made up 18.0% of US GDP [1].

Global Context

The WHO estimates global health spending at US$ 9.8 trillion in 2021 [2]. Those figures cover different years and are measured differently, so they should not be compared directly. They do show that the US makes up a large share of the world's health spending.

Methodology

US figures come from the National Health Expenditure Accounts published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the official estimates of total US health care spending [1]. They cover health care goods and services, public health, government administration, non-medical insurance costs, and investment related to health care.

Sources

[1]
National Health Expenditure Data: Historical / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) / Accessed October 1, 2026 / View source
[2]
Global spending on health: Coping with the pandemic / World Health Organization (WHO) / 2023 / Accessed October 1, 2026 / View source

Figures are reproduced from the publishers above. Calculations marked as our own are derived from these figures. Always check the original source before using a number.

Healthcare2021