Data
Health System Comparison
Compare six countries side by side: who pays, who delivers care, what is free at the point of use, life expectancy and health spending. Every row is sourced; nothing is estimated.
Published 7 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Pick a model to filter the table
Choose a model to filter the table, or sort by life expectancy or spending. Figures are a dated snapshot from OECD Health at a Glance 2025, checked 7 November 2026.
Showing 6 countries.
| Country | Model | Who pays | Who delivers | What is free at the point of use | Life expectancy, 2023 (years) | Spending, 2024 (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada KFF Health Policy 101 — international comparison | National health insurance | One public insurer per province/territory, from taxes | Mostly private providers, paid by the public plan | Medically necessary hospital and physician services free at the point of use | 81.7 | 11.3% |
| France KFF Health Policy 101 — international comparison | Bismarck | Statutory health insurance via sickness funds, from payroll contributions | Mostly private providers, regulated | Covered services with co-payments, usually topped up by complementary insurance | 83.0 | 11.5% |
| Germany KFF Health Policy 101 — international comparison | Bismarck | Non-profit sickness funds, from payroll contributions | Private providers, regulated | Covered services with small co-payments; no bill at the point of use for most care | 81.1 | 12.3% |
| Japan Commonwealth Fund — Japan country profile | Bismarck | Mandatory public insurance: Employees’ Health Insurance or National Health Insurance | Mostly private non-profit providers; free choice of provider, no referral needed | No — patients pay 10–30% of costs (most working adults 30%), with a monthly cap | 84.1 | 10.6% |
| United Kingdom (England) Commonwealth Fund — England country profile | Beveridge | General taxation | Mostly government-run services (NHS); GPs are the first point of contact | Care free at the point of use, funded from taxation | 81.0 | 11.1% |
| United States Commonwealth Fund — United States country profile | Mixed — no universal system | Mix of employer insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and out-of-pocket payments | Mostly private providers | No — no universal free-at-point-of-use cover; a significant share of the population is uninsured or underinsured | 78.4 | 17.2% |
Showing 6 of 6 countries. Life expectancy 2023 and spending 2024: OECD Health at a Glance 2025 country dashboards (OECD average: 81.1 years; 9.3% of GDP). Model descriptions: Commonwealth Fund country profiles and KFF Health Policy 101. Figures are a snapshot checked 7 November 2026, not a live feed. No country is ranked as best.
How to read this table
Who pays is the funding source: general taxation, payroll contributions to sickness funds, premiums, or a mix. Who delivers is who runs the hospitals and clinics: government, non-profit funds, or private providers. What is free at the point of use means what a patient does not pay for when they receive it — not that the service costs nothing overall; somebody pays, through taxes or contributions.
Life expectancy and spending are population figures for the whole country. They describe groups, not any individual, and a higher spend does not by itself mean a longer life: the United States spends the most and records the lowest life expectancy of the six, at 78.4 years in 2023, while Japan spends 10.6% of GDP and records 84.1 years.
Method and limits
Model labels follow the four-model frame used across this site: Beveridge (national health service), Bismarck (sickness funds), national health insurance (single-payer), and out-of-pocket. Most real systems mix these models; the label is a starting point, not a label for a whole country. The United Kingdom row describes England’s NHS; health is devolved, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland organise their services separately.
Figures are a snapshot dated 7 November 2026 from OECD Health at a Glance 2025 (life expectancy 2023; spending 2024, or nearest year). They will be re-checked when the OECD publishes the next edition. A country is added only after its row is verified against a named source — no row is estimated.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the best health system?
This tool does not rank countries and does not name a best system. It compares structures side by side so readers can see how the models differ.
Is anything on this page free?
“Free at the point of use” means no payment when care is received. Every system is paid for somewhere — through taxes, contributions or premiums.
How current are the figures?
Life expectancy is for 2023 and spending is for 2024, from OECD Health at a Glance 2025, checked 7 November 2026.
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