“While life expectancy has increased in all OECD countries over the past half century, progress was stalling in the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many countries experienced outright drops in life expectancy during the pandemic. In 2021 life expectancy at birth was 80.3 years on average across OECD countries (Figure 3.1). Japan, Switzerland and Korea led a large group of 27 OECD member countries in which life expectancy at birth exceeded 80 years. A second group, including the United States, had life expectancy between 75 and 80 years. Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and the Slovak Republic had the lowest life expectancy among OECD countries, at less than 75 years. Provisional Eurostat data for 2022 point to a strong rebound in life expectancy in many Central and Eastern European countries, but a more mixed picture for other European countries, including reductions of half a year or more in Iceland, Finland and Norway.

“In all partner countries, life expectancy remained below the OECD average in 2021, with levels lowest in South Africa (65.3 years), Indonesia (68.8) and India (70.2). Still, levels have been converging rapidly in most of these countries in recent decades.

“Women continue to live longer than men in all OECD member and partner countries. This gender gap averaged 5.4 years across OECD countries: life expectancy at birth for women was 83 years, compared to 77.6 years for men. These gender differences in life expectancy are due in part to greater exposure to risk factors among men – particularly greater tobacco consumption, excessive alcohol consumption and less healthy diets. Men are also more likely to die from violent deaths, such as suicide and accidents. The gender gap has, however, narrowed over time. Gender differences in life expectancy are especially marked in Central and Eastern European countries: Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in particular have gaps of 8 or more years. In these countries, gains in longevity for men over the past few decades have been much more modest. Gender gaps are relatively narrow in Iceland and Norway, at 3 years or less.”

Source: OECD (2023), Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/7a7afb35-en.

“Globally, an estimated 287,000 (UI 273,000 to 343,000) maternal deaths occurred in 2020, yielding an overall MMR [Maternal Mortality Ratio] of 223 (UI 202 to 255) maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for the 185 countries and territories covered in this analysis (Table 4.1). This corresponds to almost 800 maternal deaths every day, and approximately one maternal death every two minutes globally.

“For 2020, the global lifetime risk of maternal mortality was estimated at 1 in 210; this means for a girl aged 15 years in 2020, there is, on average, a 1 in 210 risk that she will die from a maternal cause. The overall PM was estimated at 9.8%.

“An estimated 1878 HIV-related indirect maternal deaths occurred in 2020, accounting for less than 1% of all maternal deaths. This corresponds to an MMR for HIV-related indirect maternal deaths of approximately 1 death per 100,000 live births, globally.”

Source: Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

“The 10 countries with the largest percentage reduction in the MMR [Maternal Mortality Ratio] between 2000 and 2020, in order of greatest to least reduction, were: Belarus, Seychelles, Turkmenistan, Romania, Bhutan, Egypt, Estonia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Kazakhstan and Mozambique, ranging from a 95.5% (UI 92.6% to 97.3%) reduction in Belarus to a 76.1% (UI 69.7% to 81.4%) reduction in Mozambique. These countries had average ARRs [Annual Rates of Reduction] ranging between 15.5% (Belarus; UI 13.0% to 18.1%) and 7.2% (Mozambique; UI 6.0% to 8.4%). In total, 69 countries reduced their MMRs by at least half between 2000 and 2020; in 34 countries, the MMRs declined by two thirds.

“The following eight countries and territories had significant percentage increases in the MMR between 2000 and 2020, in order from greatest to least increase (deterioration): the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Cyprus, Greece, the United States of America (USA), Mauritius, Puerto Rico, Belize and the Dominican Republic, with increases ranging from 182.8% (a change of -182.8%; UI -334.3% to -96.1%) in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to 36.0% (a change of -36.0%; UI -70.0% to -9.3%)1 in the Dominican Republic. With their MMRs increasing, all eight countries remain at great risk. The impact of interruptions or loss of quality health services must be considered in crisis and other unstable situations. For the countries on this list that have low MMR, attention to potential disparities between subpopulations and efforts to reduce overall PM will be important to shift back to the path of reducing MMR.

“The MMR stagnated (with UIs for the percentage change crossing zero) in 52 countries for the period 2000 to 2020. Of those countries, 16 were in sub-Saharan Africa, 11 in Europe and Northern America, 10 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 6 in Northern Africa and Western Asia, 7 in Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and 2 in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.”

Source: Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

“Notably, global life expectancy at birth increased from 46.5 years in 1950 to approximately 73.0 years in 2019 and, despite the setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is projected to reach 77.0 years by WHO’s 100th anniversary in 2048 (1,2).1 WHO regions such as Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and Western Pacific – where resources were scarcer and life expectancy was relatively lower in 1950 – have observed the greatest gains, seeing increases in life expectancy of over 30 years between 1950 and 2019. However, progress was slower in WHO’s African Region, which had the second lowest life expectancy at 37.6 years in 1950 but became the region with the lowest life expectancy in 2019 at under 65 years. Nonetheless, the absolute gain in Africa was still greater than that in the Americas where life expectancy increased from 56.0 years in 1950 by about 21 years to 77.2 years in 2019. In contrast, Europe had the highest life expectancy at birth (61.3 years) in 1950 and made the most modest gain of about 17 years by 2019.

“Notwithstanding the diverse progress across regions over the past seven decades, projected increases in life expectancy by 2048 are of similar magnitude with all regions expected to gain 4-6 years. The Western Pacific Region is projected to attain the highest life expectancy (82.7 years) at birth by WHO’s 100th anniversary, whereas Africa is projected to remains the most disadvantaged region where the newborns in 2048 are expected to live 15 fewer years on average than their counterparts in Western Pacific (Figure 3.1).

“The observed and anticipated improvements in life expectancy at birth are in parallel with improvements in survival to older ages. Globally, a newborn in 1950 had only a 46% chance of surviving to 60 years. The inequality across regions was markedly pronounced (Figure 3.2): while the probability of a newborn surviving to 60 years of age in Europe in 1950 was nearly 70%, the probability in the African, Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia regions was only half of that in Europe. Since then, however, tremendous progress has been observed in almost all regions. The probability of survival to 60 years has doubled or nearly doubled – except in the Americas and Europe – where the probability was already at nearly 60% and 70% respectively in 1950 and reached 87% and 89% respectively in 2019. In particular, with only a 41% probability of surviving to 60 years in 1950, the Western Pacific Region reached the highest survival probability (90%) of all regions by 2019. In the African Region, which has continued to have the lowest survival rate, the probability of dying before reaching 60 years of age was still more than one-third in 2019 and is projected to remain slightly above one quarter by 2048. In contrast, over 90% of the newborns in 2048 in the Americas, European and Western Pacific regions will have the chance to celebrate their 60th birthday, while in the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asia regions the probability is only slightly lower (both over 85%).”

Source: World health statistics 2023: monitoring health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023.

“Substantial global progress has been made in reducing child mortality since 2000. Approximately 10 million (9.9 million, UI: 9.8–10.1 million)2 children under 5 years of age died globally in 2000, corresponding to an under-five mortality rate (U5MR) of 76 (UI: 75–78) deaths per 1000 live births. Both the global number of deaths and the U5MR halved by 2021 (Figure 1.4). However, 5.0 million (UI: 4.8–5.6 million) children in 2021 tragically died before reaching their fifth birthday. Just under half (47%) of these deaths – about 2.3 million (UI: 2.2–2.6 million) – occurred during the first month of life. The global neonatal mortality rate (NMR) stood at 18 (UI: 17–19) deaths per 1000 live births in 2021, a 43% drop from 31 (UI: 30–32) deaths per 1000 live births in 2000. The global U5MR in 2021 was 38 (UI: 36–42) deaths per 1000 live births (4).

“Globally, NMR declined at a slower rate compared to U5MR, and both declined more slowly during the second decade (2010–2021) compared to the first decade (2000–2009). The ARR of the NMR dropped from 3.2% during 2000–2009 to 2.2% during 2010–2021, while the ARR of U5MR fell from 4.0% during the first period to 2.7% during the second period (Figure 1.4). This slowdown has been particularly pronounced since the start of the SDG era in 2015.

“Children around the world face vastly different chances of survival depending on where they are born. While U5MR in the African Region fell by 52% between 2000 and 2021, it remained the highest at 72 (UI: 65–84) deaths per 1000 live births – almost twice the global U5MR and about nine times higher that of the European Region which was eight (UI: 7–8) deaths per 1000 live births. Despite a 34% drop in NMR from 40 (UI: 39–42) deaths per 1000 live births in 2000 to 27 (UI: 24–31) deaths per 1000 live births in 2021, the number of neonatal deaths in the African Region remained stubbornly high at about 1.1 million annually since 2000 (Figure 1.5), owing to the increasing number of live births. The South-East Asia Region saw a big decline in deaths as the number of neonatal and post-neonatal under-five deaths dropped by 65% and 78%, respectively, between 2000 and 2021.U5MR and NMR also varied greatly by country/area (Figure 1.6). As of 2021, 133 countries and areas already met the SDG target for U5MR and 126 countries and areas met the target for NMR. However, in 14 countries U5MR was over 75 per 1000 live births, and in 29 countries NMR was over 25 deaths per 1000 live births.”

Source: World health statistics 2023: monitoring health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023.

“Much progress was achieved in the MDG [Millennium Development Goals] era, as the global maternal mortality ratio dropped by a third between 2000 and 2015, from 339 (UI: 319–360)¹ deaths per 100 000 live births to 227 (UI: 211–246) deaths per 100 000 live births, representing a 2.7% (UI: 2.0–3.2%) average annual rate of reduction (ARR). The number of maternal deaths globally fell by 30% during the period, from an estimated 447 000 (UI: 426 000–481 000) deaths in 2000 to 313 000 (UI: 300 000–350 000) deaths in 2015 (1).

“Such progress, however, has so far not been sustained in the SDG era as the ARR of the global maternal mortality ratio plummeted to -0.04% (UI: -1.6–1.1%) between 2016 and 2020, indicating stagnation. An estimated 287 000 (UI: 273 000–343 000) women lost their lives due to largely preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2020 – approximately 800 women every day – equivalent to 223 (UI: 202–255) deaths per 100 000 live births that year.

“The maternal mortality ratio levels, as well as the rates of progress and slowdown, have been uneven across WHO regions(Figure 1.1). The WHO South-East Asia Region maintained the fastest reduction rate during the MDG era and the first five years of the SDG era, reducing the maternal mortality ratio from 372 (UI: 336–423) deaths per 100 000 live births in2000 to 117 (UI: 106–133) deaths per 100 000 live births in 2020. The African Region, while keeping the ARR relatively stable at 2.0% for the past two decades, continued to have the highest maternal mortality ratio. The Region of the Americas, the Western Pacific Region and the European Region saw a trend reversal, with the maternal mortality ratio levels increasing between 2016 and 2020 after having decreased during the MDG era. However, the levels of the maternal mortality ratio have remained low (below 100 deaths per 100 000 maternal deaths) since 2000.

“Figure 1.2 shows countries and areas for which estimates are available. In 2020, 13 countries had a maternal mortality ratio that was very high (between 500 and 999) or extremely high (over 1000). Of these countries, 11 are in the African Region and two are in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In total, 117 countries and areas had a maternal mortality ratio below 100 deaths per 100 000 live births, 60 of which had a very low maternal mortality ratio (below 20).Disparities may also occur within countries, with maternal mortality ratio levels varying across subnational regions and places of residence, or by socioeconomic status such as income and educational levels, and by other social determinants such as race and ethnicity.”

Source: World health statistics 2023: monitoring health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023.

“In 2021, over 12 million people died across OECD countries – equivalent to 932 deaths per 100 000 population (Figure 3.5). This is almost 1.5 million more than in 2019, largely due to COVID-19. Diseases of the circulatory system and cancer remain the two leading causes of death in most countries. There is an ongoing epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases in many middle-income countries, which has already taken place in high-income countries (Vos et al., 2020[1]). Across OECD countries in 2021, heart attacks, strokes and other circulatory diseases caused more than one in four deaths; around one in five deaths were related to cancer. Population ageing largely explains the predominance of deaths from circulatory diseases – with deaths rising steadily from age 50.

“Respiratory diseases were also a major cause of death, accounting for 9% of deaths across OECD countries. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) alone accounted for 3% of all deaths. Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD, but occupational exposure to dust, fumes and chemicals, and air pollution in general, are also important risk factors. COVID-19 caused 7% of all deaths in 2021 (based on recorded figures). Since then, its effects have decreased, but it continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality. For example, in the United States, COVID-19 was the fourth leading underlying cause of mortality during 2022 (Ahmad et al., 2023[2]).

“External causes were responsible for 6% of deaths across OECD countries – notably road traffic accidents and suicide. Road traffic accidents are a particularly important cause of death among young adults, whereas suicide rates are generally higher among middle-aged and older people. Further, in some countries – notably the United States and Canada – the opioid crisis has caused more working-age adults to die from drug-related accidental poisoning (see section on “Illicit drug use” in Chapter 4).

“Looking at other specific causes, Alzheimer’s and other dementias accounted for 6% of all deaths; they were a more important cause of death among women than men. Diabetes represented 3% of all deaths across OECD countries. The main causes of death differ between socio-economic groups, with social disparities generally larger for the most avoidable diseases. For example, people with the lowest level of education are more likely to smoke in most OECD countries, increasing the risk of developing cancers and diseases of the respiratory system (OECD, 2019[3]).”

Source: OECD (2023), Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/7a7afb35-en.

“In partner countries, life expectancy remains well below the OECD average. Still, levels are converging rapidly towards the OECD average, with considerable gains in longevity since 1970 in India, the People’s Republic of China (China), Brazil and Indonesia. There has been less progress in the Russian Federation (Russia), due mainly to the impact of the economic transition in the 1990s and a rise in risky health behaviours among men. South Africa has also experienced slow progress, due mainly to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, although longevity gains over the last decade have been more rapid.”

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

“Higher national income is generally associated with greater longevity, particularly at lower income levels. Life expectancy is also, on average, longer in countries that invest more in health systems – although this relationship tends to be less pronounced in countries with the highest health spending per capita (see Chapter 1 for further analysis).

“COVID‑19 is expected to have a major impact on life expectancy, due to the exceptionally high number of deaths this pandemic has caused. Indeed, OECD countries recorded around 1.7 million excess deaths, compared with the average number of deaths over the five preceding years (see indicator “Excess mortality”). In 2020, life expectancy fell in all OECD countries for which data are available, other than Norway, Japan, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland and Latvia (Figure 3.2). The annual reduction reached one year or more in nine countries, and was particularly large in the United States (-1.6 years) and Spain (‑1.5 years).

“Even before COVID‑19, gains in life expectancy had been slowing down markedly in a number of OECD countries over the last decade. This slowdown was most marked in the United States, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. Longevity gains were slower for women than men in almost all OECD countries.

“The causes of this slowdown in life expectancy gains over time are multi-faceted (Raleigh, 2019[2]). Principal among them is slowing improvements in heart disease and stroke. Rising levels of obesity and diabetes, as well as population ageing, have made it difficult for countries to maintain previous progress in cutting deaths from such circulatory diseases. Respiratory diseases such as influenza and pneumonia have claimed more lives in recent years – most notably in 2015, but also in the winters of 2012‑13 and 2016‑17. In some countries – particularly the United States and Canada – the opioid crisis has caused more working-age adults to die from drug-related accidental poisoning. More broadly, economic recessions and related austerity measures, as in the 2008 global economic crisis, have been linked to deteriorating mental health and increased suicide rates, but with a less clear-cut impact on overall mortality (Parmar, Stavropoulou and Ioannidis, 2016[3]). What is clear is that continued gains in longevity should not be taken for granted, with better protection of older people and other at-risk populations paramount to extending life expectancy.”

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

“Women live longer than men in all OECD member and partner countries. This gender gap averaged 5.3 years across OECD countries in 2019 – life expectancy at birth for women was 83.6 years, compared with 78.3 years for men (Figure 3.3). The gender gap in life expectancy has narrowed by one year since 2000, however, reflecting more rapid gains in life expectancy among men in most countries.

“In 2019, life expectancy at birth for men in OECD member countries ranged from around 71 years in Latvia and Lithuania to 81 years or higher in Switzerland, Japan, Iceland, Sweden, Italy, Norway, Spain and Israel. For women, life expectancy reached 87.5 years in Japan, but was less than 80 years in Mexico, Hungary and Colombia.

“Gender gaps are relatively narrow in Iceland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Israel and Ireland – at less than four years. However, there are large gender differences in many central and eastern European countries – most notably in Lithuania and Latvia (over 9 years), Estonia (8.5 years) and Poland (7.8 years). In these countries, gains in longevity for men over the past few decades have been much more modest. This is partly due to greater exposure to risk factors among men – particularly greater tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption and less healthy diets – resulting in more deaths from heart diseases, cancer and other diseases. For OECD partner countries, the gender gap stands at ten years in Russia, and around seven years in Brazil and South Africa. China (4.4 years) and India (2.5 years) have smaller gender gaps.

“Socio‑economic inequalities in life expectancy are also evident in all OECD countries with available data (Figure 3.4). On average among 24 OECD countries, a 30‑year‑old with less than an upper secondary education level can expect to live for 5.2 fewer years than a 30‑year‑old with tertiary education (a university degree or equivalent). These differences are higher among men, with an average gap of 6.5 years, compared with an average gap of 3.9 years among women.

“Socio‑economic inequalities are particularly striking among men in many central and eastern European countries (Slovak Republic, Latvia, Poland, Hungary), where the life expectancy gap between men with lower and higher education levels is over ten years. Gaps in life expectancy by education are relatively small in Italy and Sweden.

“More deaths among prime‑age adults (25‑64 years) with lower education levels drive much of this education gap in life expectancy. Mortality rates are almost four times higher for less educated prime‑age men, and about twice as high for less educated prime‑age women, compared to those with tertiary education (analysis based on data from 23 OECD countries).

“Differences in mortality rates among older men and women, while less marked, remain higher among the less educated, driven mainly by more deaths from circulatory diseases and cancer (Murtin et al., 2017[4]).”

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

“In 2019, across OECD countries, over 3 million premature deaths amongst people aged under 75 years could have been avoided through better prevention and health care interventions. This amounts to over one‑quarter of all deaths. Of these deaths, about 1.9 million were considered preventable through effective primary prevention and other public health measures, and over 1 million were considered treatable through more effective and timely health care interventions.

“Some cancers that are preventable through public health measures were the main causes of preventable mortality in 2019 (31% of all preventable deaths) – particularly lung cancer (Figure 3.9). Other major causes were injuries, such as road accidents and suicide (21%); heart attack, stroke and other circulatory diseases (19%); alcohol and drug-related deaths (14%); and some respiratory diseases such as influenza and COPD (8%).

“The main treatable cause of mortality in 2019 was circulatory diseases (mainly heart attack and stroke), which accounted for 36% of premature deaths amenable to treatment. Effective, timely treatment for cancer, such as colorectal and breast cancers, could have averted a further 27% of all deaths from treatable causes. Respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and asthma (9%) and diabetes and other diseases of the endocrine system (8%) are other major causes of premature death that are amenable to treatment.

“The average age‑standardised mortality rate from preventable causes was 126 deaths per 100,000 people across OECD countries. It ranged from 90 or fewer per 100,000 in Luxembourg, Israel, Iceland, Switzerland, Japan, Italy and Spain to over 200 in Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania and Mexico (Figure 3.10). Higher rates of premature death in these countries were mainly due to much higher mortality from ischaemic heart disease, accidents and alcohol-related deaths, as well as lung cancer in Hungary.

“Mortality rates from treatable causes across OECD countries were much lower, at an average of 73 per 100,000 population. They ranged from fewer than 50 deaths per 100,000 people in Switzerland, Korea, Iceland, Australia, Norway, Japan, France, Sweden and the Netherlands, to over 130 in Mexico, Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary. Ischaemic heart diseases, strokes and some types of treatable cancers (including colorectal and breast cancers) were the main drivers in Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary – countries with some of the highest treatable mortality rates.

“Preventable mortality rates were 2.5 times higher among men than among women across OECD countries (185 per 100,000 population for men compared with 73 for women). Similarly, mortality rates from treatable causes were about 36% higher among men than women, with a rate of 86 per 100,000 population for men compared with 63 for women. These gender gaps are explained by higher mortality rates among men, which are in part linked to different exposure to risk factors such as tobacco smoking (see indicator “Main causes of mortality” and Chapter 4 for an in-depth analysis of risk factors for health).”

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

“With these limitations in mind, almost 9% of adults considered themselves to be in poor health, on average across OECD countries in 2019 (Figure 3.22). This ranged from over 15% in Korea, Lithuania, Portugal and Latvia to under 4% in Colombia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, the United States and Australia. However, the response categories used in OECD countries outside Europe and Asia are asymmetrical on the positive side, which introduces a comparative bias to a more positive self-assessment of health (see the “Definition and comparability” box). Korea, Japan and Portugal stand out as countries with high life expectancy but relatively poor self-rated health.

“Among the few countries with data available for 2020, nearly all reported a reduction in the proportion of the population reporting themselves to be in bad or very bad health compared with 2019, with Finland reporting no change and no countries reporting an increase. While the data must be interpreted with caution – data are available for only seven countries and these include countries where the COVID‑19 pandemic did not severely test health systems – it could be an indication of the influence of context on perceived health: health issues that may previously have been considered more serious may be downplayed in the context of the pandemic.

“People on lower incomes are on average less positive about their health than those on higher incomes in all OECD countries (Figure 3.23). Almost 80% of adults in the highest income quintile rated their health as good or very good in 2019, compared with under 60% of adults in the lowest income quintile, on average across OECD countries. Socio‑economic disparities are particularly marked in Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, with a percentage point gap of 40 or more between adults on low and high incomes. Differences in smoking, harmful alcohol use and other risk factors are likely to explain much of this disparity.

“Socio‑economic disparities are relatively low in Australia, Colombia, Greece, Israel and Italy, at less than 10 percentage points. Self-rated health tends to decline with age. In many countries, there is a particularly marked decline in how people rate their health when they reach their mid‑40s, with a further decline after reaching retirement age. Men are also more likely than women to rate their health as good.”

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

World Health Systems Facts currently has sections on the US and sixteen other OECD nations. The links below lead directly to national sections on Health System Outcomes:

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  September 21, 2024 The Commonwealth Fund has released the newest installment of its Mirror Mirror series, which compares various national health systems with the US. According to Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System: “Key Findings: The top three countries are Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, although differences in overall performance between ...
• Baker Institute Report Examines Hospital Prices, Costs, and Profits September 11, 2024
  Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has issued a new report on hospital finances. The report, entitled Prices Versus Costs: Unpacking Rising US Hospital Profits, compares “the commercial operating costs, net patient revenue from commercial patients, and commercial operating profits of hospitals with different price levels to examine if higher prices are charged to ...
• Healthcare in the US Becoming Less Affordable July 23, 2024
  July 23, 2024 The ability of Americans to access affordable healthcare has declined in recent years, according to a new report by Gallup and the nonprofit West Health. According to the report, entitled Tracking Healthcare Affordability and Value: The West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index and Healthcare Value Index: “Cost security among U.S. adults has dipped to its lowest ...
• NY Times Investigative Series on Pharmacy Benefit Managers and High Prescription Drug Costs June 21, 2024
  June 21, 2024 The New York Times has begun a new series about how pharmacy benefit managers prioritize their own interests at the expense of patients, employers, and the public. Part one, entitled “The Opaque Industry Secretly Inflating Prices for Prescription Drugs,” was published June 21, 2024. According to the Times: “The three largest pharmacy benefit managers, ...
• Journalism Organizations Plan Webinar Series on Business of Healthcare February 14, 2024
  February 14, 2024 The Association of Health Care Journalists and Investigative Reporters & Editors, with the support of the NIHCM Foundation, are hosting a series of free webinars for journalists on the business of healthcare. The series is entitled “Follow the Money: The Business of Health Care.” The first webinar, “Using HospitalFinances.org and other tools to tell money stories,” ...
• US Healthcare Spending in 2022: $4.5 Trillion January 2, 2024
  January 2, 2024 According to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (accessed January 2, 2024): “US health care spending grew 4.1 percent to reach $4.5 trillion in 2022, faster than the increase of 3.2 percent in 2021 but much slower than the rate of 10.6 percent in 2020. The growth in 2022 reflected strong ...
• Baker Institute: More Texans Insured Thanks To The ACA November 23, 2023
  November 23, 2023 Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy reports that more Texans have health insurance coverage now thanks to the Affordable Care Act. According to the Institute’s November 14 issue brief, entitled Looking at the Numbers: 10 Years of Data on the Affordable Care Act Reveal Benefits for Texans: “When the ACA was enacted in ...
• Update: Medicare Drug Price Negotiations Moving Forward October 19, 2023
  Negotiations between the federal government and the manufacturers of ten prescription drugs over prices for the Medicare program are moving forward. The American Hospital Association reported on Oct. 3, 2023 (“CMS: Makers of selected drugs agree to participate in Medicare price negotiation”): “The companies that make the first 10 Medicare Part D drugs selected to participate ...
• Medicare and Medicare Advantage October 15, 2023
  Medicare is a complicated system that mixes public and private insurance providers. As reported by the Scripps News Service on Oct. 21, 2022 (“Why Is Medicare So Complicated?”): “By the government’s last count in 2021, 64 million adults were enrolled in Medicare. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple to navigate. The Medicare maze is growing more ...
• Medicare Open Enrollment Season Runs October 15 – December 7 October 15, 2023
  Open enrollment season for Medicare is October 15 through December 7. According to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (last accessed Oct. 15, 2023): “Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each year—things like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks. October 15 to December 7 is when all ...
• List of Drugs For Which Medicare Will Negotiate Prices Announced September 1, 2023
  September 1, 2023 On August 30, 2023, Kaiser Health News reported (“5 Things to Know About the New Drug Pricing Negotiations”): “The Biden administration has picked the first 10 high-priced prescription drugs subject to federal price negotiations, taking a swipe at the powerful pharmaceutical industry. It marks a major turning point in a long-fought battle to control ...
• Learning From Others June 14, 2023
  June 14, 2023 Professor Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS, is the Chief Health Officer of Indiana University. In a guest essay comparing the US health care system with the systems of five other nations that was published June 13, 2023 in the New York Times (“I Studied Five Countries’ Health Care Systems. We Need to Get ...
• Practice Consolidation and Access to Quality Care May 14, 2023
  May 14, 2023 The New York Times reports on a growing trend among healthcare organizations in the US, the impact of which may be of concern for patients and taxpayers. The Times reported on May 8, 2023 (“Corporate Giants Buy Up Primary Care Practices at Rapid Pace”) that: “CVS Health, with its sprawling pharmacy business and ownership ...
• Medicaid Re-Enrollment Begins Again April 1, 2023
  US states are restarting yearly Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility reviews. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported on February 22, 2023 (“10 Things to Know About the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision”): “Primarily due to the continuous enrollment provision, Medicaid enrollment has grown substantially compared to before the pandemic and the uninsured rate has dropped. ...
• The Existential Threat of Greed in US Health Care February 7, 2023
  February 7, 2023 The journal JAMA published a Viewpoint on Jan. 30, 2023 by Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, entitled Salve Lucrum: The Existential Threat of Greed in US Health Care. In it, Dr. Berwick contends: “Profit may have its place in motivating innovation and higher quality in health care, as in any industry. But kleptocapitalist behaviors that raise ...
• Oregon Becomes First US State To Guarantee Its Residents Access To Affordable Healthcare January 20, 2023
  January 20, 2023 In the November 2022 general election, Oregon voters narrowly approved Oregon Measure 111, the Right to Healthcare Amendment. The measure amended the state constitution, adding a guarantee of access to affordable healthcare for all Oregon residents. According to Ballotpedia, last accessed Jan. 20, 2023: “Ballot title “The ballot title was as follows:“Amends Constitution: State must ...
• Massive Savings Possible In US Health System October 21, 2021
  October 21, 2021 The management consulting firm McKinsey & Company has issued a new report estimating that administrative changes and efficiencies could save the US health system more than a quarter trillion dollars. As noted in a Viewpoint article published in JAMA on October 20: “The analysis dissected profit and loss statements of individual health care organizations, estimated ...

World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated September 5, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.