Health Expenditure Australia 2009-10

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said Expenditure on health in Australia has increased from $72.2 billion in 1999-00 to $121.4 billion in 2009-10.

At the same time, Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased from $951.0 billion to $1,284.8 billion, so health expenditure as a  proportion of GDP has gone from 7.9% in 1999-00 to 9.4% of GDP in 2009-10.

The $121.4 billion spent on health goods and services during 2009-10 averaged out at $5,479 per Australian.
This report looks at the period from 1999-00 to 2009-10 and includes important information about the costs of health care in Australia, in terms of both the total number of dollars spent and the proportion of Australia’s national income that is spent on health. It also looks at the types of health goods and services that attracted funding and where that funding came from.

Public hospital services accounted for under one-third (31%) of the total increase in 2009-10, while medications accounted for over one-fifth (21%) of the total growth.  2009-10 marks the first year of the transition to the National Health Care Agreement, a new health care funding arrangement between the Australian government and state and territory governments.

The report is available at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737420435&tab=2

Tags: AIHW, healthcare system,