A new report by the Focus Clinic showcases the healthcare expenditure of countries worldwide

Accessing healthcare services is one of the most essential parts to guarantee personal wellbeing. With increased ageing populations placing a strain on present healthcare models, companies are looking for new, innovative ways to provide exceptional patient care, but which countries are falling short?

The Focus Clinic has recently utilised data from The World Bank to take a closer look at the percentage of government expenditure countries allocate towards their healthcare services, ranking 190 countries, with 0.0% being the lowest, to 30% being the highest.

The United Kingdom has been renowned for its exceptional National Health Service and dedication to the delivery of patient care, yet this is currently under fire.

Ranked 32nd in the study, allocating 16.5% of their overall government spend on healthcare, it is clear that the UK needs to work harder and placing more financial emphasis on its healthcare services, where there has been a number of reports surrounding ambulance delays, the delay of non-urgent surgeries, as well as increasing pressures across primary and secondary healthcare services.

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At present, countries such as Iran position higher in the report, providing further concerns.

The US, by contrast has been ranked 8th in the study, allocating 21.3% of government spending on its healthcare service, with Micronesia and the Netherlands close behind at 20.9% and 21.2% respectively.

Andorra currently takes the top spot, with 27.9% allocated towards its government healthcare expenditure, becoming one of the most medically advanced countries surrounding exceptional patient care. The Maldives is a surprise close second at 26.6%, followed by Nicaragua at 24%, the Marshall Islands (23.8%), New Zealand (23.4%), Costa Rica (23.3%) and Switzerland (22.7%).

However, out of the top 10 countries with the lowest percentage of government expenditure reserved for healthcare, seven are in Asia, with the remaining three situated in Africa. Timor-Leste is presently the lowest spending country, allocating 2.4% to its healthcare services, with Laos, Myanmar and Eritrea following close behind at 3.4% and 3.6%.

The remaining countries are Yemen (3.9%), Azerbaijan (3.9%), South Sudan (4%), Cameroon (4.3%), Pakistan (4.7%) and the Syrian Arab Republic (4.8%).