Category: International Comparisons

What Drives Health Spending in the U.S. Compared to Other Countries

An updated issue brief looks at the drivers of health spending in the U.S. and key differences between the U.S. and other large, wealthy nations. The analysis finds that people in the U.S. spent $5,683 more per person on health care compared to those i…

International Comparison of Health Systems

This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the performance of the U.S. health system on a number of cost, outcomes, and quality measures by comparing it with those in similarly large and wealthy OECD nations. It highlights that despite significant spendin…

How does the quality of the U.S. health care system compare to other countries?

This chart collection compare health outcomes, quality of care, and access to services between the U.S. and peer countries. While inconsistent and imperfect metrics make it difficult to firmly assess system-wide health quality in the U.S., a review of …

How Does U.S. Life Expectancy Compare to Other Countries?

The analysis finds that life expectancy in the U.S. fell by 2.7 years from 2019 to 2021, whereas in peer countries’ life expectancies fell by an average of just 0.2 years in this period. COVID-19 has erased two decades of life expectancy growth in the …

What are the recent and forecasted trends in prescription drug spending?

This slideshow looks at past, present and future trends in prescription drug spending with a focus on the role of specialty drugs.

How does health spending in the U.S. compare to other countries?

This chart collection compares health care spending in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, including data on health spending per person and the growth rate in recent years and over time.

How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries?

The analysis finds that life expectancy in the U.S. fell by 2.7 years from 2019 to 2021, whereas in peer countries’ life expectancies fell by an average of just 0.2 years in this period. COVID-19 has erased two decades of life expectancy growth in the …

How Do Prescription Drug Costs in the United States Compare to Other Countries?

This chart collection examines what we know about prescription drug spending and use in the U.S. and comparably large and wealthy countries, using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries?

This slideshow compares life expectancy in the U.S. and other nations. The data shows that life expectancy at birth is lower in the U.S. than other industrialized countries for both women and men. The life-expectancy gap between the U.S. and other co…

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Excess Mortality and Potential Years of Life Lost in the U.S. and Peer Countries

A new issue brief reviews excess death rates in the U.S. and peer countries by age groups to examine how the pandemic has affected excess mortality rate among younger people. The analysis looks specifically at the excess deaths that arose in 2020 to ex…