72
HiT in Belgium
3
FINANCINGԝn
3.1
HEALTH EXPENDITURE
KCE Reports 138
In 2007 (latest available year), total health expenditure as a percentage of GDP in Belgium was 10.2% (see Table 3.1 and Fig. 3.1). At this percentage of GDP, Belgium ranked third among the EU Member States, including those acceding to the EU in May 2004 and January 2007 (EU27) (see Fig. 3.2). Between 1982 and 1994, the evolution of health expenditure as a percentage of GDP in Belgium was in line with the evolution of the EU15 average (Member States belonging to the EU before May 2004) (Corens 2007). Since 1994, Belgium’s total health expenditure as a proportion of GDP has been slightly above the EU27 average (see Fig. 3.1). The growth in health expenditure in Belgium is similar to that in other western European countries and can be explained by several factors, such as the increasing number of elderly people, higher expectations, growth in real GDP and increasing implementation of new technology in the health care sector. Belgium has the sixth highest health expenditure per capita measured in PPP US$ among EU27 countries (see Fig. 3.3). Table 3.1: Trends in health expenditure in Belgium, 1990–2007 (selected years) Total health expenditure per
capita 1
Total health expenditure as % of GDP Mean annual real growth rate in total health expenditureԜ1
1990
2000
2005
2007
1 479
2 121
2 681
2 761
7.2
8.6
10.3
10.2
1980–1990 1990–2000 –
2000–2007
3.5
4.4
4.0
–
2.0 2.1 – 2.0 Mean annual real growth rate in GDP 1 Source: OECD 2009a. Note: 1Ԝin € at 2000 GDP price level. Data before 2003 are based on national accounts estimates and 2003–2007 data are based on the joint OECD-Eurostat-WHO System of Health Accounts (SHA) collection.
Fig. 3.1: Trends in health expenditure as a share (%) of GDP, Belgium and neighbouring countries, 1990–2007
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe 2010. Note: Because of the introduction of SHA, a series rupture between 2002 and 2003 can be observed. Growth rate estimates should therefore be treated with caution n
This chapter was written by Sophie Gerkens, Carine Van de Voorde, Anja Desomer and Christian Léonard.