Health care costs influence whether people can access care and how systems allocate money. In the U.S., 49% of adults report delaying or skipping medical care due to cost, while $2,200 held as medical debt affects millions. This page connects spending levels, growth, and coverage design—from hospital administration to labor and pharmaceuticals—with real-world outcomes across countries and settings.
Key Takeaways
- $12.8 billion in U.S. spending on dental services in 2022
- $4,000 per capita health spending in Japan in 2020
- 11.1% of GDP is spent on health care in France in 2022
- 22.6% of Americans with employer coverage have a deductible of $2,000 or more in 2023
- 12.2% of U.S. adults had high out-of-pocket medical costs in 2021 (>10% of income)
- 49% of U.S. adults report delaying or skipping medical care due to cost in 2023
- $2.2 billion in medical debt held by 23 million Americans in 2022
- $37.7 billion in U.S. spending on hospital administration in 2021
- $1,200 average annual out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs per person in the U.S. in 2021
- 8.0% of global health spending is on pharmaceuticals in 2021
- $50 billion in U.S. spending on insulin in 2021
- 3.4% real growth in U.S. health care spending in 2022
- 6.4% average annual growth in U.S. health spending from 2010 to 2022
- 14.1% of U.S. GDP spent on health care in 2022
- $1,500 average annual deductible for single coverage in 2023
Rising health costs hit harder in the U.S. and worldwide, driving high deductibles, out-of-pocket burdens, and care delays.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
$12.8 billion in U.S. spending on dental services in 2022https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/nhe-fact-sheet
02
$4,000per capita health spending in Japan in 2020https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-at-a-glance-2021_1e4a5b7e-en
03
11.1% of GDP is spent on health care in France in 2022https://www.oecd.org/health/health-spending.htm
04
$850 billion in global oncology drug spending in 2022https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/global-oncology-trends-2023
05
9.2% annual growth in global health technology market in 2023https://www.statista.com/outlook/hmo/digital-health/digital-treatment-care/worldwide
06
$720 billion in U.S. spending on physician and clinical services in 2022https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/health-care
07
$600 billion global market for health care AI by 2024https://www.frost.com/news/press-releases/global-healthcare-artificial-intelligence-market-to-reach-600-billion-by-2024/
08
$110 billion in U.S. spending on mental health services in 2020https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35320/NSDUHNationalFindingsReport2020.pdf
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The Market Size picture is that health care spending is scaling rapidly and unevenly across regions, from $12.8 billion in U.S. dental services in 2022 to 11.1% of GDP spent on health care in France in 2022 and $850 billion in global oncology drug spending in 2022, alongside 9.2% annual growth in global health technology in 2023.
02 · Category
Workforce Spend5 stats
01
4.0% of physicians in the U.S. in 2022https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-datasets/physician-statistics-2022
02
2.9 million nurses in the U.S. in 2022https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
03
$82,000average annual salary for U.S. registered nurses in 2022https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
04
40% of health care spending is on labor costs in 2021https://www.mercer.com/what-we-do/health-and-benefits/health-care-labor-costs.html
05
7.8% increase in health care wages in 2022 compared to 2021https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/health-care-wages-increase-2022/631428/
Interpretation
Workforce Spend Interpretation
Workforce spend is a major cost driver, with labor accounting for about 40% of health care spending in 2021 and nurse pay rising 7.8% in 2022 versus 2021, even as the U.S. workforce includes 2.9 million nurses and only 4.0% of physicians are in 2022.
03 · Category
Cost Drivers4 stats
01
49% of U.S. adults report delaying or skipping medical care due to cost in 2023https://www.kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/
02
$2.2 billion in medical debt held by 23 million Americans in 2022https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/medical-debt-burden-in-the-united-states/
03
$37.7 billion in U.S. spending on hospital administration in 2021https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00289
04
3.2% of GDP is spent on health administration in the U.S. in 2019https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00598
Interpretation
Cost Drivers Interpretation
As a cost driver, Americans are feeling the strain in multiple ways, with 49% of adults delaying or skipping care due to cost in 2023 alongside 3.2% of GDP spent on health administration in 2019 and $37.7 billion on hospital administration in 2021, while $2.2 billion in medical debt burdens 23 million people in 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Global Comparison4 stats
01
$12,000per capita health spending in Switzerland in 2021https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD?locations=CH
02
$5,500per capita health spending in Canada in 2022https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-health-expenditure-trends
03
9.6% of GDP spent on health care in Australia in 2022https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-expenditure-australia-2021-22
04
0.5% average annual growth in health spending in Germany from 2010 to 2020https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/health-care-costs-in-germany/
Interpretation
Global Comparison Interpretation
In this Global Comparison, health spending varies dramatically by country and period, with Switzerland reaching $12,000 per capita in 2021 and Canada at $5,500 per capita in 2022, while Australia spent 9.6% of GDP on health in 2022 and Germany’s spending grew only 0.5% per year from 2010 to 2020.
05 · Category
Prescription Drug Costs3 stats
01
$1,200average annual out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs per person in the U.S. in 2021https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-at-a-glance-2023_6a7b1e98-en
02
8.0% of global health spending is on pharmaceuticals in 2021https://www.who.int/data/gho/publications/world-health-statistics
03
$50 billion in U.S. spending on insulin in 2021https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00539
Interpretation
Prescription Drug Costs Interpretation
In the Prescription Drug Costs category, the U.S. averaged $1,200 in annual out of pocket spending per person in 2021 while global health spending devoted 8.0% to pharmaceuticals and U.S. insulin alone reached $50 billion in 2021, showing how prescription medicines are a major and growing financial burden.
06 · Category
Overview6 stats
01
22.6% of Americans with employer coverage have a deductible of $2,000 or more in 2023https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-summary-of-findings/
02
12.2% of U.S. adults had high out-of-pocket medical costs in 2021 (>10% of income)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur202205.pdf
03
6.4% average annual growth in U.S. health spending from 2010 to 2022https://www.urban.org/research/publication/how-much-do-we-spend-health-care-recent-trends
04
14.1% of U.S. GDP spent on health care in 2022https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data
05
3.4% real growth in U.S. health care spending in 2022https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00443
06
$1,500average annual deductible for single coverage in 2023https://www.ahip.org/news/press-releases/2023/ahip-survey-average-deductible-for-single-coverage-1500
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, health care costs are still climbing and putting pressure on households, with 22.6% of Americans with employer coverage facing deductibles of $2,000 or more in 2023 and health spending rising at an average 6.4% annually from 2010 to 2022 and 3.4% real growth in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Health Care Cost Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/health-care-cost-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Health Care Cost Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/health-care-cost-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Health Care Cost Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/health-care-cost-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)