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The United States now spends $15,474 per person on healthcare for a total of $5.3 trillion in spending overall in 2024, according new federal data reported by Health Affairs. For 2 years in a row, health spending increases have topped 7% (7.4% in 2023; 7.2% in 2024). Increased demand for care and higher intensity of services are the main drivers of growth, according to the analysis.
| Year | Total Expenditures (trillions) | Expenditures Per Capita |
| 2018 | $3.6 | $11,042 |
| 2019 | $3.8 | $11,487 |
| 2020 | $4.2 | $12,637 |
| 2021 | $4.3 | $13,137 |
| 2022 | $4.5 | $13,689 |
| 2023 | $4.9 | $14,580 |
| 2024 | $5.2 | $15,474 |
Pandemic heights: In 2024, the share of gross domestic product (GDP) allocated to healthcare was 18.0%, which actually was not a high water mark for GDP even though 2024 represents the most the country has ever spent on healthcare. In 2020, healthcare as a percentage of GDP reached 19.7%, followed by 18.4% in 2021—the key pandemic years.
U.S. Healthcare Spending Climbs Past $5T Mark