Follow Us on

North Star

Industry Facts

  • Home
  • North Star
  • Industry Facts

World health ranking: Health Outcomes

Health Rank
Country
01
Norway
02
Japan
03
South Korea
04
Iceland
05
Sweden
06
Israel
07
Australia
08
Spain
09
Singapore
10
Switzerland
11
Luxembourg
12
Italy
13
Belgium
Health Rank
Country
14
Ireland
15
Finland
16
Slovenia
17
Denmark
18
Cyprus
19
Austria
20
Netherlands
21
France
22
Germany
23
New Zealand
24
Malta
25
UAE
26
Greece
Health Rank
Country
27
Portugal
28
Canada
29
Czechia
30
United Kingdom
31
Estonia
32
Kuwait
33
Chile
34
Croatia
35
Qatar
36
Albania
37
Poland
38
Maldives
39
Saudi Arabia
Health Rank
Country
40
Costa Rica
41
Montenegro
42
China
43
Sri Lanka
44
Slovakia
45
Bosnia & Herz.
46
Antigua & Barbuda
47
Panama
48
USA
49
Brunei
50
North Macedonia
51
Barbados
.
.
Health Rank
Country
Exp % of GDP
01
Norway
10.6
02
Japan
11.1
03
South Korea
9.1
04
Iceland
9.5
05
Sweden
10.7
06
Israel
7.0
07
Australia
11.2
08
Spain
9.7
09
Singapore
4.9
10
Switzerland
11.5
11
Luxembourg
5.5
12
Italy
8.6
13
Belgium
11.1
Health Rank
Country
Exp % of GDP
14
Ireland
7.1
15
Finland
9.3
16
Slovenia
9.0
17
Denmark
10.2
18
Cyprus
5.6
19
Austria
10.6
20
Netherlands
10.7
21
France
11.5
22
Germany
11.7
23
New Zealand
9.6
24
Malta
10.4
25
UAE
4.7
26
Greece
8.7
Health Rank
Country
Exp % of GDP
27
Portugal
9.3
28
Canada
11.6
29
Czechia
7.6
30
United Kingdom
9.9
31
Estonia
6.9
32
Kuwait
6.0
33
Chile
10.2
34
Croatia
7.0
35
Qatar
4.2
36
Albania
7.2
37
Poland
6.6
38
Maldives
7.0
39
Saudi Arabia
5.8
Health Rank
Country
Exp % of GDP
40
Costa Rica
8.6
41
Montenegro
8.5
42
China
5.6
43
Sri Lanka
3.9
44
Slovakia
7.1
45
Bosnia & Herz.
8.9
46
Antigua & Barbuda
5.0
47
Panama
8.1
48
USA
18.5
49
Brunei
2.3
50
North Macedonia
6.6
51
Barbados
5.7
52
Lithuania
7.2
Click to Overlay Cost Info

USA health spend & global rank, 1975 to 2025

TOP TEN TARGET
USA RANK ; GLOBAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
USA RANK ; GLOBAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
TOP PERCENTAGE TARGET

USA health spend & global rank, 2035 target

TOP TEN TARGET
USA RANK ; GLOBAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
USA RANK ; GLOBAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
TOP PERCENTAGE TARGET
Click to overlay the path forward

USA vs. others (sample countries)

Category
Norway
Singapore
Greece
USA
World Rank (Outcomes)
1
9
26
48
Health Spend as a Percentage of GDP
10.6%
4.9%
8.7%
18.5%
Per Capita Spend ($USD)
$11,700
$4,100
$1,900
$16,200
Life Expectancy, Years
82.9
83.9
79.6
76.4
Healthy Life Expectancy, Years
71.2
73.6
68.6
63.9
Maternal Mortality per 100K Live Births
1.3
6.1
4.8
16.6
Under Age 5 Mortality
2.4
2.1
3.7
6.5
PREMATURE NCD MORTALITY
7.8
10.3
12.0
13.7

How we spend $5.6 Trillion, 18.9% of GDP

Hospital care
32.1%
Physician & clinical services
20.1%
Residential, home, nursing & retirement care
12.9%
Dental, public health, other professional services
10.9%
Prescription drugs
9.5%
Net cost of health insurance
7.4%
Other (DME, admin, research, structures & equipment, other 3rd-party)
7.1%

The path from $5.6 to $2.9 Trillion; extract $2.6 Trillion

Examples of structural reforms and potential savings

  • $220B: Limit commercial hospital facility prices to 180% of Medicare rates
  • $150B: Implement site-neutral payments
  • $120B: Cap commercial physician and professional service prices at 140% of Medicare
  • $25B: Enact tort reform to reduce unnecessary defensive testing and procedures
  • $150B: Implement site-neutral payments

Roadmap to eliminating System Waste, 57% of goal

  • Total potential savings: $1.55 Trillion

Challenges to be solved

  • Transparency & real accountability
  • End-of-life care misalignment
  • Underpowered primary care (access & continuity)
  • Data interoperability
  • Drug affordability & PBM distortions
  • Patient experience, navigation & health literacy
  • Administrative complexity and waste
  • Chronic disease mismanagement
  • Behavioral health & substance use disorder (SUD)
  • Fragmented care, poor transitions
  • Safety & quality (HAIs, harm, low-value care)
  • Maternal health, perinatal safety
  • Inequities & social determinants of health (SDOH)
  • Misaligned incentives and fee-for-service
  • And many more

Download Our White Paper: 

Answering Two Urgent Questions About U.S. Healthcare

Use data to

  • Eliminate waste
  • Maximize value
  • Increase competition
0%

Teriflunomide (drug)

$371.30 Cost Plus Drugs cash price. $10,239.69 paid by J&J plan, 96% savings

0%

Hip replacement

$18,000 bundled vs. $75,000+ at academic centers, 76% savings.

0%

Knee surgery in NYC

$5,200 vs. $50,000 — same ZIP code zip code, 90% savings

0%

MRIs in NYC

$340 to $3,600, even with the same insurer, 91% savings

0%

Spinal fusion

$45,000 at specialty centers vs. $250,000+ elsewhere, 82% savings.

These aren’t outliers—they’re systemic. The U.S. healthcare system rewards opacity, not outcomes. The fix is simple: let clinical evidence and transparent cost data drive decisions.

The cost of inaction

U.S. healthcare spending will easily exceed $7 trillion/year by 2035, if current trends continue
Life expectancy and other health metrics could continue to fall
Inequities will widen, bankruptcies will rise, and employers will face unsustainable costs

What it looks like to win

Better health outcomes would mean

  • Increased life expectancy
  • Lower infant mortality
  • Reduced maternal mortality
  • Fewer preventable hospitalizations
  • Higher cancer survival rates
  • Reduced cardiovascular deaths
  • Lower diabetes complications
  • Lower obesity rates
  • Decreased suicide rates
  • Better mental health outcomes
  • Fewer opioid overdose deaths
  • Better childhood vaccination rates
  • Improved health equity
  • Reduced medical errors
  • Improved access to primary care
  • Reduced wait times for care
  • Lower rates of chronic disease
  • Healthier aging population
  • Increased patient satisfaction
  • Improved outcomes in rural areas
  • Lower cost-related non-adherence
  • More evidence-based prescriptions
  • Better management of rare diseases
  • Reduced hospital readmission rates
  • Greater public trust in the system
×