System of Health Accounts 2021

Health Expenditure over time

While the System of Health Accounts focuses on spending on healthcare for consumption purposes Figure 3.1 includes capital expenditure in order to better illustrate the overall level of health spending in Ireland. (Note there is a break in the series in 2011, see Background Notes)

In 2021 for every €100 spent on healthcare €95 was current expenditure and €5 was capital expenditure. Between 2012 and 2021 current expenditure on healthcare increased by 53.8%; capital spending trebled in the same time period - see Table 3.1.

For international comparisons a ratio of expenditure to GDP is used. Prior 2015, current health expenditure in Ireland was higher than the OECD average of 8.7%. As a result of the level of GDP in recent years the ratio of health spending has been below the OECD average (6.7% of GDP compared with OECD average of 10.4% in 2021) - see Figure 3.2.

Thus using GNI* (which excludes globalisation effects, which disproportionally impact the measurement of the size of the Irish economy) as a denominator may be a more appropriate indicator for comparison purposes. By this metric current health expenditure in Ireland was 12.2% in 2021.