22 April 2008
Health expenditure in Finland continues to grow
Health expenditure in Finland totalled EUR 13.6 billion in 2006. In real terms, this is 2.3 per cent up on the previous year. Health expenditure per capita was EUR 2586 on average. The expenditure has been increasing in Finland since 1995. In 1995–2006, the greatest increases occurred in expenditure on medicines and dental care. The smallest increases were in institutional care for older people and people with disabilities and long-term inpatient primary health care.
In 2006, health expenditure as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) was 8.2 per cent, which was 0.1 per cent less than one year earlier. Finnish health expenditure as a share of GDP continued to be below the OECD average, which was 9 per cent in 2005.
Health expenditure in Finland is mostly financed from public sources. In 2006, public financing of health expenditure accounted for 76 per cent and private financing for 24 per cent. The proportion financed from public sources has been increasing since 2003. Households accounted for 18.7 per cent of health expenditure in 2006.
The data are based on a new statistical accounting system that was brought into use by STAKES this year in reporting health expenditure and financing nationally and internationally. The new system uses the concepts, classifications and accounting principles of the OECD System of Health Accounts (SHA). Data in accordance with the new accounting system have been produced retrospectively from 1995 onwards.
Using the international system of health accounts in national reporting showed that health expenditure in 2005 was EUR 1.1 billion above the level calculated by the old method. The growth of expenditure was largely due to the fact that expenditures on elderly care services (EUR 693 million), public health care investments (EUR 145 million), health administration (EUR 120 million) and medicines (EUR 100 million) were included in the accounting more extensively than previously.
With the new accounting system, health expenditure as a share of GDP has generally increased in the OECD countries. In Finland, the growth was 0.8 percentage points, which is slightly more than in the OECE countries on average. The structure of health financing was not affected by the statistical reform to any significant degree.
Additional information from STAKES:
Nina Knape, Development Manager, tel. +358 9 3967 2683 or +358 40 746 0450 and Jan Moilanen, Planning Officer, tel. +38 9 3967 2693; email: firstname.lastname@stakes.fi
Sources:
Health Expenditure and Financing 2006. Statistical Summary 11/2008. Official Statistics of Finland, Health 2008, Helsinki. Online publication available at: http://www.stakes.fi/tilastot/tilastotiedotteet/2008/Tt11_08.pdf
Jan Moilanen, Nina Knape, Unto Häkkinen, Timo Hujanen, Petri Matveinen. Terveydenhuollon menot ja rahoitus 1995–2005. OECD:n terveystilinpitojärjestelmän (SHA, System of Health Accounts) käyttöönotto kansallisessa tilastoinnissa. Loppuraportti. ('Health Expenditure and Financing 1995-2005. Implementing the SHA System of Health Accounts in National Statistical Accounting. Final Report.') STAKES, Report 16/2008, Helsinki.
Kindly find the online publication or orders one from the STAKES online bookshop: http://www.stakes.fi/FI/Julkaisut/verkkojulkaisut/raportteja08/VR16_2008.htm