Press Release 17/12/2013
Expenditure on health in the Basque Country accounted for 8.8% of GDP in 2012
With respect to 2011, total expenditure decreased by 1.9%
Total expenditure on healthcare, calculated in accordance with the System of Health Accounts (SHA 1.0) methodology of the OEDC, reached 5,663 million euros in 2012, which represented 8.8% of Basque GDP, according to Eustat data. Of this amount, 73.2% came from public funding and 26.8% from private funding.
In recent years, the change in healthcare funding has changed in keeping with GDP performance. Thus, in 2010, the amount was 5,768 million euros, 2.3% more than in 2009; in 2011, expenditure increased by only 0.1%, reaching 5,774 million euros, and in 2012 the amount spent on healthcare decreased by 1.9% with respect to 2011.
The indicator of contributions from public administrations, in other words, public expenditure on healthcare compared to the total expenditure by Public Administrations in the Basque Country stood at 16.1% in 2011, one percentage point more than in Spain, whose indicator was 15.1%.
In the international comparison, and from 2011 data, the most recent data provided by the OECD, there has been no difference compared to previous financial years. Expenditure as a percentage of GDP in the Basque Country reached 8.8%, placing it below the other countries. However, healthcare expenditure per capita at PPP (Purchasing Power Parity in $) stood at 3,695 in the Basque Country, placing it above other countries such as the United Kingdom (3,405), Finland (3,374) and Spain (3,072; 20.3% lower than that of the Basque Country). At the very top of the table are Norway with 5,669 and Switzerland with 5,643. In terms of funding, 73.8% of the total expenditure on healthcare comes from public funding, in line with surrounding countries.
Other supply indicators, such as the number of doctors per inhabitant, average hospital stay or medical consultations, and health indicators, such as life expectancy, nevertheless place the Basque Country above the OECD average.
A more detailed analysis of the advance data on the Health Accounts of the Basque Country for 2012 shows that the current expenditure on healthcare was 97.9%, and the remaining 2.1% was allocated to Gross Capital Formation (investment).
In the distribution of total expenditure by functions, 76.9% corresponded to individual healthcare services. Of these functions, the largest section is Curative healthcare, which decreased by 1.4% compared to 2011. The second most important function corresponds to Health Products provided to outpatients, which accounted for 16.5% of total spending and decreased by 3.5% compared to 2011. Expenditure on medium and long stay healthcare provision accounted for 16.1% of the total and a decrease of 0.2% was recorded. Other functions within current expenditure whose amount decreased compared to 2011 were Preventative services and public healthcare (-1.8%), and auxiliary healthcare services (-0.7%). Medical rehabilitation service (1.4%) and the Administration and Health Insurance function (1.1%) had positive growth rates. Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell by 21.6% in 2012.
The structure of expenditure by provider was similar to that of previous periods; the greater part of spending was on hospitals (40.3%) and the second biggest spending was on providers of outpatient care, with 27.8%. Healthcare and residential establishments accounted for 11% of current expenditure; this being the only expenditure that increased with respect to 2011 (1.8%).
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62
Further press releases on the Health Account of the Basque Country
Databank on the Health Account of the Basque Country