25 Countries With Free Or Universal Healthcare

Aliza Zia
11 min read

In This Article:

In this article, we will be looking at the 25 countries with free or universal healthcare. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to 5 Countries With Free Or Universal Healthcare.

World Health Organization defines universal healthcare as coverage where "all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship." The provision of universal healthcare is one of the sustainable development goals that the world adopted in 2015. 

According to WHO, in 2021, 4.5 billion people were not covered by universal healthcare coverage for essential services. Without healthcare coverage, people must incur the cost from their pockets. This out-of-pocket financing of healthcare services pushed 344 million individuals globally to extreme poverty and 1.3 billion individuals into relative poverty.

The provision of universal or free healthcare is central to development. However, the cost of healthcare is constantly rising. In 2020, global government spending on healthcare rose to $9 trillion, accounting for almost 11% of global GDP. Healthcare outpaces inflation, which means that healthcare costs rise more than the economy's growth rates. Nonuniform rates are a main factor in the rise in global healthcare spending. You can also check out: 20 Countries with the Most Expensive Healthcare in the World.

The Price Puzzle: Why Healthcare is Expensive in the US

The United States has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world. According to data from OECD, in 2022, the United States spent an estimated 14.1% of its entire GDP on healthcare expenditure. This percentage corresponds to the estimated per capita government spending of $10,643.65 in the same year. According to an article published on July 14 by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation (PGPF), the healthcare spending by the US in 2021 was almost $4.3 trillion, which averages to about $12,900 per person.

Despite having one of the highest per capita spending and overall GDP allocation for healthcare, the United States healthcare lacks outcomes. Furthermore, the average cost of healthcare in the US is double that of other wealthy countries. The lack of results and long healthcare bills have rightfully earned the US healthcare system the image of being one of the most expensive in the world.

One of the main reasons for the increasing price of healthcare in the US is inflation. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, from 2000 to June 2023, the prices of all goods and services increased by 80.8% in the US. During the same period, prices of healthcare services increased by 114.3%. Healthcare prices traditionally have a higher growth rate than inflation. Therefore, healthcare services had a higher price spike than other consumer services.

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