United Kingdom: Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, United Kingdom's out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure) fell 0.07 percentage points on 2023 (from 14.63% to 14.56%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.21 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.08 percentage points in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.63 percentage points in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.24 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 30% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, United Kingdom had the 12th highest value of the 22 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to United Kingdom in the 2024 ranking

• Canada — 9th of 22: 15.28%
• Iceland — 10th of 22: 14.88%
• Colombia — 11th of 22: 14.74%
• Czechia — 13th of 22: 14.06%
• Denmark — 14th of 22: 13.87%
• Sweden — 15th of 22: 13.38%

What this measures

Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 25 values

Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure) in nearby economies

• Albania — 48.27% (2023)
• Andorra — 11.15% (2023)
• Armenia — 80.47% (2023)
• Austria — 16.46% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 64.63% (2023)
• Belarus — 28.48% (2023)
• Belgium — 21.51% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 30.96% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 35.5% (2023)

More health data for United Kingdom

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.87% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.29% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 5.74 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 16.29% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 6.04 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 17.66% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 11.79 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 16.96% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is United Kingdom's out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure)?

14.56% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 3.66 percentage points from 18.22% in 2000. The highest value was 18.22% in 2000 and the lowest 12.35% in 2006.

How does United Kingdom rank?

12th highest of 22 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure) unusual for United Kingdom?

In 2024, United Kingdom's out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure) fell 0.07 percentage points on 2023 (from 14.63% to 14.56%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.21 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.XPD.OOPC.CH.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: http://apps.who.int/nha/database Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.