2001-2024
GDP share of health and medical care was 11.2 percent
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2026-03-31 8.00
In 2024, health and medical care comprised 11.2 percent of GDP. General government financed 86 percent of the total expenditures, while households paid 13 percent of the total expenditures via patient fees and other fees.
The GDP share of health and medical care remains unchanged
The GDP share of health and medical care showed no change in 2024 compared to previous year. In 2024 the share of GDP was 11.2, the same as in 2023.
In 2024, total current health expenditure increased by 28.3 billion, which corresponds to 4.1 percent compared with 2023. Total expenditures for health and medical care amounted to 719 billion in 2024.
Main areas of health and medical care
Health and medical care expenditures can be classified into seven main areas. Curative and rehabilitative care account for about half of all the costs. Health and medical care concerning care for the elderly and persons with disabilities accounts for 28 percent of the health and medical care sector. Nursing costs are also included in these expenditures. The third largest item is expenditures of medical goods for outpatients.
Curative and rehabilitative care accounts for half of the total health‑care expenditures
Curative and rehabilitative care
Expenditures on curative and rehabilitative care increased by 4.3 percent between 2023 and 2024. The largest expenditure item in curative and rehabilitative care is inpatient care and it increased by 5.2 percent compared to previous year.
Long-term care
Expenditures on long-term care for elderly and disabled increased by 4.3 percent. The largest expenditure item is inpatient long-term care which increased by 5.5 percent.
Medical goods
Expenditures for medical goods dispensed to outpatients increased by 5.8 percent between 2023 and 2024. Over-the-counter medicines increased by 6 percent and prescribed medicines increased by 7.9 percent.
Preventive care
Expenditures for preventive care decreased by 4.4 percent between 2023 and 2024. Expenditures on preventive care have shown significant variation since 2021, when COVID‑19 had a strong impact.
Health‑care spending by function
| Function of health care | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curative and rehabilitative care | 281 013 | 291 490 | 311 171 | 317 165 | 349 029 | 364 094 |
| Long-term care for elderly and disabled | 149 670 | 155 483 | 161 492 | 175 567 | 190 515 | 198 651 |
| Ancillary services | 23 801 | 28 203 | 31 283 | 31 991 | 33 359 | 34 228 |
| Medical goods dispensed to outpatients | 66 562 | 68 679 | 73 148 | 77 932 | 82 358 | 87 129 |
| Preventive care | 17 696 | 18 683 | 25 749 | 21 495 | 22 330 | 21 348 |
| Governance and health system and financing administration | 8 037 | 7 454 | 6 847 | 8 406 | 8 682 | 8 662 |
| Other health care services | 3 496 | 3 564 | 3 876 | 4 135 | 4 375 | 4 826 |
| Total current expenditures on health care | 550 275 | 573 556 | 613 566 | 636 691 | 690 648 | 718 938 |
| Growth in total current expenditures on health care (%) | 4.2 | 7.0 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 4.1 | |
| Medical care and health as percentage of GDP (%) | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 11.2 |
Healthcare financing
The general government increased their expenditures for health and medical care by 3.9 percent between 2023 and 2024. Household out-of pocket payment increased by 5.2 percent. Other financier which includes companies, private health insurance, and non-profit institutions service households, increased their expenditures by 7.9 percent.
Revision to previously published data
In May 2025, the National Accounts published updated figures for 1993-2023 as a result of a minor benchmark revision. Updates have been made to the Health Accounts for the years 2016–2023.
Definitions and explanations
The Health Accounts are based on the concepts in the National Accounts. All expenditures for health and medical care are presented in a three-axis system based on the function, financier and producer. Data is only available in current prices.
Statistics Sweden has presented Health Accounts since 2008. The data is presented according to the manual A System of Health Accounts 2011 (SHA 2011), which is common to the OECD, Eurostat and the WHO.
Data is presented for the years 2001–2024, but the period 2001–2010 is not completely comparable with the period 2011–2024, which means there is a break in the time series. This break in the time series refers to the area health and medical care within care for the elderly and persons with disabilities.