Press Release 27/11/2024

HEALTH ACCOUNT. 2023

Current healthcare expenditure in the Basque Country was up 6.0% in 2023, reaching 8,554 million

Current spending on healthcare stood at 9.2% of GDP and expenditure per inhabitant stood at 3,882 euros

Current healthcare expenditure in the Basque Country stood at 8,554 million euros in 2023 (9.2% of GDP), according to data prepared by Eustat in accordance with the OECD methodology published in the System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011). The corresponding amount per capita was 3,882 euros, up 5.4% on the previous year.

Healthcare expenditure measures the final consumption of goods and services for health, that is, current expenditure by any financing agent. The financing of this expenditure includes, as a whole, the Public administrations, Compulsory health insurance, Voluntary health insurance and Direct payment by households.

Since 2020, total current expenditure in absolute terms has grown at an average annual cumulative rate of 5.0%, and in the past year, it has risen by 6.0%, going from 8,068 million in 2022 to 8,554 million in 2023.

Current spending on healthcare as a percentage of GDP has dropped by 0.1 percentage points over the last year. Meanwhile, expenditure per inhabitant has increased by 5.4%, rising from 3,683 euros in 2022 to 3,882 euros in 2023.

With regard to the sources of funding, of the 8,554 million euros of current expenditure in 2023, 5,944 million euros corresponded to the Public administrations together with Compulsory health insurance, representing an increase of 5.5% compared to 2022. The remaining 2,610 million euros corresponded to Voluntary health insurance together with Direct payment by households, a rise of 7.1% in respect of the previous year.

A detailed analysis of the data from the Basque Country Health Account corresponding to expenditure by function shows that the largest category continued to be Curative healthcare (56.9%), with an increase in expenditure of 6.5% in 2023, reaching 4,867 million euros. The second largest function was Medical Products (pharmaceutical products, medical and therapeutic equipment), which represented 16.8% of current expenditure and recorded an annual increase of 7.2%. In third place, expenditure on Long-stay healthcare provision (which includes expenditure on the healthcare of dependants) accounted for 14.7% of current expenditure and saw more moderate growth of 3.5% compared to the year before. Next came expenditure on Auxiliary healthcare services (including spending on clinical analysis, diagnostic imaging and medical transport), which reached 429 million euros in 2023 and represented 5.0% of current expenditure.

The remaining functions, despite accounting for a lower relative share of spending, registered significant growth in 2023: Rehabilitative healthcare was up 12.1%, reaching 180 million euros; expenditure on Prevention services increased by 7.8% and totalled 109 million euros; and the function Governance and administration of the healthcare system saw spending rise by 5.9% to 270 million euros.

The structure of expenditure by provider was similar to that of previous periods; the greater part of spending was on Hospitals (41.5%), with growth of 6.3% in 2023. In second place were Providers of outpatient care, which accounted for 22.4% of spending and registered an increase of 6.9% in respect of 2022. In third place, Retailers and providers of medical products represented 16.9% of current expenditure and recorded growth of 7.2% in 2023. Spending on Long-stay residential establishments accounted for 10.2% of current expenditure.

The remaining expenditure (9.0%) corresponded to Auxiliary service providers (medical transport, laboratories), Prevention service providers, Administration of the healthcare system and the Rest of the economy, which includes households as home healthcare providers.

Period availables 200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023

As regards international comparison, the latest data published by Eurostat and the OECD for all the EU27 countries correspond to 2022. The main indicators for comparison are expenditure as a percentage of GDP, expenditure per capita in PPP (euros) and the indicator of contributions from the public administrations.

The indicator of contributions from the public administrations, i.e. public expenditure on healthcare in relation to the total expenditure by public administrations in the Basque Country, stood at 15.8% in 2022, which was higher than the averages for the EU27 (14.7%) and Spain (15.2%).

Healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP in the Basque Country was 9.3% in 2022, below the average for the EU27 (10.4%).

A better position was obtained by healthcare expenditure per capita in PPP (euros), which reached 3,775 in the Basque Country, placing it above the averages for the EU27 (3,685) and countries such as Spain (2,814) and Finland (3,645). At the very top of the table was Germany with 5,317. The latter indicator has remained above the EU27 average throughout the entire series of years available.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel.: 945 01 75 62