The country’s health spending or Current Health Expenditure (CHE) reached PhP 895.88 billion in 2020, 12.6 percent higher compared with PhP 795.64 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, Health Capital Formation Expenditure decreased to PhP 108.09 billion in 2020, lower by -5.1 percent compared with PhP 113.86 billion in 2019. 

The Total Health Expenditure (THE), which comprises of CHE (89.2%) and Health Capital Formation Expenditure (10.8%), recorded PhP 1.00 trillion in 2020. It grew by 10.4 percent from PhP 909.50 billion in 2019. The share of THE to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices was 5.6 percent, up from 4.7 percent in 2019. (Tables 37 to 40, and Figure 1)

Government schemes and compulsory contributory health care financing schemes had the highest share to the total health spending in 2020

Health spending financed through government schemes and compulsory contributory health care financing schemes recorded the largest among sources of health financing in the country, amounting to PhP 409.39 billion or 45.7 percent of CHE in 2020. Household-out-of-pocket payment (OOP) came second at PhP 400.10 billion (44.7%), followed by voluntary health care payment schemes which contributed PhP 86.39 billion (9.6%). (Tables 10 and 12, and Figure 2)

Among health care providers, bulk of spending were spent on hospitals (43.8%), followed by pharmacies (28.2%), and providers of preventive care (9.0%). (Tables 13 and 15)

On a per capita basis, health spending was at PhP 8,216.42 in 2020, higher by 10.7 percent compared with PhP 7,422.69 in 2019. (Tables A, 43, and 44)

Table A. Current Health Expenditure Per Capita, 2018-2020, Levels (in PhP)

                          Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

The population data considers the census-based population projections for 2018 to 2019 and actual counts from the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CPH).

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

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