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In 2024, the total expenditure on health care in China reached over *** yuan. That figure included government spending, collective spending, and private out-of-pocket spending on health care. 

Health expenditures worldwide

The health expenditure in China has soared from under * yuan in 2000 to more than *** yuan in 2024. The reasons behind this growth are multifold. The most important factors are the increasing living standards and the aging of the population. In terms of relative numbers, health expenditure as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has also been increasing in general in the last two decades and reached over *** percent in recent years. This indicates the growing importance the government attributed to health care in the country. However, this is still a relatively low share of GDP when compared to other more developed countries, for example, Australia or South Korea.

Health care in China

The same phenomenon is reflected in the increase in private per capita health expenditure of Chinese households as well, which has nearly tripled in the last decade for Beijing, as the region with the highest private health expenditure in China. Health insurance is voluntary in China, but the share of the population being covered by basic health insurance has grown quickly in the last ten years. In 2017, the number of people covered by basic health insurance surpassed * for the first time. In 2019, more than ** percent of the population enjoyed at least a basic health insurance. Additional commercial health insurance was especially purchased by people working as executives or professionals.