Hong Kong Healthcare Spending Climbs 5% to HK$262.5 Billion in 2024-25
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Medical and Health Bureau released the 2024-25 fiscal year Local Medical and Health Total Expenditure Accounts, revealing that Hong Kong's recurring healthcare expenditure has maintained a stable upward trajectory. The figures demonstrate sustained investment in the healthcare sector while the government pushes forward with primary care reforms.
Key Points
- Recurring healthcare expenditure reached HK$262.513 billion in 2024-25, up 5% from the previous fiscal year
- Healthcare spending as percentage of GDP remained at 8.2%, unchanged from the previous year
- Per capita recurring healthcare expenditure stood at HK$34,890, with public per capita spending at HK$18,000
- Public expenditure accounted for 51.6% (HK$135.45 billion) while private expenditure made up 48.4% (HK$127.063 billion)
- Primary healthcare expenditure comprised 30.4% of total recurring healthcare spending, moving toward the Blueprint's long-term 3.5:6.5 target
- Both recurring and public healthcare expenditure have shown upward trends over the past 10 years
Why It Matters
The sustained increase in healthcare spending reflects Hong Kong's growing challenge of an aging population and rising chronic disease prevalence. The shift toward primary healthcare, as outlined in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, aims to build a more sustainable system by refocusing resources from treatment-oriented secondary and tertiary care toward prevention-focused family doctor services .
The sustained increase in healthcare spending reflects Hong Kong's growing challenge of an aging population and rising chronic disease prevalence. The shift toward primary healthcare, as outlined in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, aims to build a more sustainable system by refocusing resources from treatment-oriented secondary and tertiary care toward prevention-focused family doctor services .