Health expenditure in Türkiye rises by 105 percent last year

ANKARA

Total health expenditure increased by 105 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year and reached 1.24 trillion Turkish Liras ($35.8 billion), according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on Dec. 6.

General government health expenditure surged 108 percent annually to 964.4 billion liras, while private sector health expenditure was 279.9 billion liras, marking an increase of 95.3 percent from 2022.

The ratio of general government health expenditure to total health expenditure was 77.5 percent and this was 22.5 percent for the private sector in 2023.

The share of the Social Security Institution in total expenditure was 42.1 percent, while the central government and households accounted for 34.8 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively.

The share of insurance companies was 2.5 percent. It was 2.2 percent for non-profit organizations serving households and other enterprises.

Local governments contributed to 0.6 percent of total health spending in 2023.

Current health expenditure increased by 104.1 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year to 1.13 trillion liras.

Investments amounted to 109.3 billion liras, an increase of 114.9 percent, according to TÜİK.

Breakdown of the expenditure data by health service providers, hospitals captured the largest share at 52.5 percent, followed by retail sales and other providers of medical goods at 20.6 percent and providers of ambulatory health care at 10.7 percent.

Per capita health expenditure was 14,582 liras in 2023, up 104.2 percent from a year ago.

In U.S. dollar terms, per capita health expenditure rose from $431 in 2022 to $621 last year, the data showed.

The ratio of total health expenditure to GDP was 4.7 percent in 2023, rising from 4 percent of national income in 2022.

The ratio of current health expenditure to GDP was calculated as 3.7 percent for 2022 and 4.3 percent for 2023, TÜİK said.

Out-of-pocket health expenditures made by households, such as for treatment and pharmaceuticals, amounted to 220.9 billion liras last year, pointing to an increase of 97.2 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

In 2023, the ratio of household out-of-pocket health expenditure to total health expenditure was 17.8 percent.