An updated analysis comparing healthcare systems across 20 countries finds once again that the US system is an outstandingly poor performer, summarized as being a “persistent failure” for its high costs, poor health outcomes, and premature deaths.
“Americans pay more for health care, get less in return, and remain far more exposed to illness, debt, and insecurity than their peers,” the report concludes.
The report comes from The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation focused on healthcare system performance, which periodically conducts such comparative analyses. The new report is based on 2024 data and compares the US to 19 countries, including many in Europe, as well as Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
As has long been the case, the US spends far more on healthcare than any other of the 19 countries. In 2024, the US spent 18 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, nearly twice the average of all the countries, which was 9.3 percent. The second-highest spender after the US was Germany, with 12.3 percent.
Drilling down, the US spends far more on care per person than other countries and spends more on prescription medications. Americans are, by far, the most likely to skip medications, treatments, tests, and consultations due to costs.
