MagazineHealth

The U.S. Spends more on health care than any wealthy nation—but American lifespans are shorter. Here’s how the countries compare

Nicolas RappBy Nicolas RappInformation Graphics Director
Nicolas RappInformation Graphics Director

Nicolas Rapp is the former information graphics director at Coins2Day.

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Matthew HeimerBy Matthew HeimerExecutive Editor, Features
Matthew HeimerExecutive Editor, Features

Matt Heimer oversees Coins2Day's longform storytelling in digital and print and is the editorial coordinator of Coins2Day magazine. He is also a co-chair of the Coins2Day Global Forum and the lead editor of Coins2Day's annual Change the World list.

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Map shows current health expenditure as a share of GDP

Greater spending on health should correlate with gains in life expectancy—but the U.S., the planet’s biggest per capita spender, lags significantly behind other developed nations by that measure. (Australians spend half as much, but live almost five years longer.) U.S. Rates of opioid abuse, gun violence, and maternal and infant fatalities all exceed those in most other advanced economies, driving down average life spans. And in a largely for-profit system where insurance often depends on employment status, access to the basic care that leads to longer lives can be tenuous at best. Even people with access often feel uncared for, as we learned from the polarized reactions to the murder of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson.

This article appears in the February/March 2025 issue of Coins2Day.

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