File photo of Seoul National University Hospital (123rf) South Korea’s health spending has more than doubled since 2014, reaching a record 224.99 trillion won ($163.86 billion) last year and accounting for 8.4 percent of gross domestic product.The total rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary data in the National Health Accounts report released Tuesday by the National Health Insurance Service and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.That worked out to 4.35 million won per person.National health expenditure is divided into personal health expenditure, covering medical goods and services provided directly to individuals, and collective health expenditure, which covers public health programs and health administration.Personal health expenditure accounted for 92.6 percent of the total, rising from 196.6 trillion won in 2024 to 208.3 trillion won last year. It surpassed 200 trillion won for the first time.Collective health expenditure totaled 16.7 trillion won, or 7.4 percent of the total.By type of service, outpatient care accounted for the largest share of total health expenditure at 32.3 percent, followed by inpatient care at 24.3 percent. Pharmaceuticals and other medical goods made up 20.7 percent, while long-term care services accounted for 13.1 percent.Health expenditure has risen almost every year since records began in 1970. The only decline came in 2023, when it slipped to 203.4 trillion won from 205.4 trillion won a year earlier.The total first crossed 100 trillion won in 2014, reaching 102.29 trillion won, and topped 200 trillion won in 2022.