OECD Health Statistics 2014
How does Portugal compare?
Total health spending accounted for 9.5% of GDP in Portugal in 2012, slightly above the OECD
average of 9.3%. The United States is, by far, the country that spends the most on health as a share
of its economy, with 16.9% of its GDP allocated to health in 2012, followed by the Netherlands
(11.8%), France (11.6%) and Switzerland (11.4%). In Portugal, 65% of health spending was funded
by public sources in 2012, below the average of 72% in OECD countries.
Health expenditure, public and private, as a share of GDP, OECD countries, 2012 or latest year
As in many other European countries, health spending in Portugal fell in recent years, driven largely
by government efforts to reduce budgetary deficits following the economic crisis. In 2011 and 2012,
the reduction in health spending (including both public and private spending) reached more than 5%
per year in real terms.
Health expenditure growth rates (in real terms) since 2004, Portugal and OECD average
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In many OECD countries including Portugal, the reduction in pharmaceutical expenditure has
contributed to the slowdown or reduction in overall health spending in recent years. In Portugal,
pharmaceutical spending fell in 2009, 2010 and 2011, with the reduction in 2011 reaching more than
9% in real terms. Portugal has introduced a series of measures to reduce pharmaceutical spending,
including price reductions for branded medicines and generics, changes in reimbursement rates for
prescribed pharmaceuticals, and a move towards centralised procurement for medicines.
Annual growth of pharmaceutical spending (in real terms) since 2009, Portugal and OECD average
Health status and risk factors
In 2012, life expectancy at birth in Portugal was 80.5 years, slightly above the OECD average of 80.2
years. Life expectancy was highest in Japan (83.2 years), followed by Iceland and Switzerland at 83.0
and 82.8 years. There continues to be a large gender gap in life expectancy in Portugal, with women
living over 6 years longer than men. This gender gap is greater than that in most other OECD
countries.
The proportion of adults who smoke every day in Portugal was 18.6% in 2006 (latest year available),
below the OECD average of 20.7% in 2012.
As in most other OECD countries, obesity rates among adults have increased in Portugal, with the
rate reaching 15.4% in 2006 (latest year available also), up from 12.8% in 1999, based on selfreported height and weight. The growing prevalence of obesity foreshadows increases in the
occurrence of health problems (such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) and higher health care
costs in the future.
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Key facts for Portugal from OECD Health Statistics 2014
2012
2000
2012
2000
Rank among
OECD
countries*
Life expectancy at birth (years)
80.5
76.9
80.2
77.1
22 out of 34
Life expectancy at birth, men (years)
77.3
73.3
77.5
74.0
24 out of 34
Life expectancy at birth, women (years)
83.6
80.4
82.8
80.2
11 out of 34
Life expectancy at 65, men (years)
17.6
15.4
17.7
15.6
23 out of 34
Life expectancy at 65, women (years)
21.3
19.1
20.9
19.1
13 out of 34
242.0
424.9
296.4
428.5
21 out of 34
200.7
211.5
213.1
242.5
24 out of 34
20.7
26.0
22 out of 34
9.0
9.5
10 out of 34
15.4
11.9
15 out of 29
Portugal
OECD average
Health status
Mortality from cardiovascular diseases
(age-standardised rates per 100 000 pop.)
Mortality from cancer
(age-standardised rates per 100 000 pop.)
Risk factors to health (behavioural)
Tobacco consumption among adults
(% daily smokers)
18.6
(2006)
20.6
Alcohol consumption among adults
(liters per capita)
10.8
(2010)
12.1
Obesity rates among adults, self-reported
(%)
15.4
(2006)
12.8
Obesity rates among adults, measured
(%)
(1999)
(1999)
..
..
22.7
18.7
..
9.5
9.3
9.3
7.7
13 out of 34
Health expenditure per capita
(US$ PPP)
2457
1646
3484
1888
23 out of 34
Pharmaceutical expenditure per capita
(US$ PPP)
473
327
498
300
19 out of 33
Pharmaceutical expenditure
(% health expenditure)
19.0
(2011)
21.5
15.9
17.9
10 out of 33
Public expenditure on health
(% health expenditure)
65.0
(2011)
66.6
72.3
71.4
28 out of 34
Out-of-pocket payments for health care
(% health expenditure)
27.3
(2011)
24.3
19.0
20.5
6 out of 34
3.2
2.7
4 out of 34
8.8
7.5
26 out of 34
4.8
5.6
21 out of 34
Health expenditure
Health expenditure as a % GDP
Health care resources
Number of doctors (per 1000 population)1
4.1
3.1
Number of nurses (per 1000 population)
5.8
4.2
Hospital beds (per 1000 population)
3.4
3.7
(2004)
*Note: Countries are ranked in descending order of values.
1. The data for Portugal refer to all doctors who are licensed to practice, resulting in a large over-estimation of the number of
doctors who are actually practicing.
More information on OECD Health Statistics 2014 is available at www.oecd.org/health/healthdata.
For more information on OECD's work on Portugal, please visit www.oecd.org/portugal.
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