https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/ahr_2025annual_comprehensivereport_final-web.pdf
We spend $13,818 per person on health care, about 2.5x the OECD average ($5,477).
And yet the U.S. is sitting at 78.4 years life expectancy (OECD 81.1), ranked 30/38.
The gap between the OECD average and the U.S. has been growing since 2003. We are not catching up, we are falling further behind.
Infant mortality is 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births (ranked 32/38).
We are paying the most in the world just to die younger and sicker. What is the single biggest driver of this massive disconnect?
by -Azzi-
12 Comments
The visual impact of this is staggering. Using the OECD average as a benchmark line really highlights how the U.S. operates in a completely different ‘regime’ of spending compared to its peers. It’s a textbook example of how a clean bar chart can expose a systemic outlier without any unnecessary clutter. Great work on the clarity!
Yeah no shit, we have profit seeking leeches in between people who need Healthcare and Healthcare providers. It’s literally the health insurance company’s job to pay less than than they take in.
Now show them ranked by obesity rates
Life expectancy is not a way to judge healthcare. The US life style is so unhealthy, it’s only because of our healthcare that our life expectancy is close to other developed countries.
Would love to see how all 50 states compare rather than being all lumped together. Huge variance amongst the states.
% of GDP is a more accurate for comparisons (and still has the same general result!)
Right, but its not a fair comparison, because they’re optimizing for health outcomes and we’re optimizing for corporate profits.
Because US health care systems is driven primarily for shareholder value + many Americans live as if health care is free.
God that is so sad and stupid. Decades of “healthcare” companies, pharma, and the cheap whores in DC ruining the lives of the people they claim to be helping.
Edit: phrasing didn’t make sense before
No matter how much money you throw at health care for obese people, smokers, mostly sedentary people, the outcome can only improve so much.
Let me fix that title for you:
*”US* ***charges*** *more for lesser healthcare!”*
Do these “outcomes” control for Americans’ obesity?