Hong Kong Healthcare Spending Hits HK$262.5 Billion in 2024-25, Per Capita Expenditure Surpasses HK$34,000
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's recurrent healthcare expenditure reached HK$262.51 billion in 2024-25, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.0% (HK$12.49 billion) . Healthcare spending accounted for 8.2% of GDP, similar to the previous year's proportion. Per capita recurrent healthcare expenditure stood at HK$34,890 .
Public expenditure contributed HK$135.45 billion, or 51.6% of total healthcare spending, translating to HK$18,000 per person and comprising 4.2% of GDP . Private healthcare expenditure reached HK$127.06 billion, representing 48.4% of recurrent healthcare expenditure and 3.9% of GDP . Both overall healthcare spending and public expenditure have shown a generally upward trend over the past decade relative to GDP .
Key Points
- The government continues implementing reforms outlined in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, shifting the healthcare system's center of gravity from treatment-focused secondary and tertiary care toward prevention-oriented, family doctor-centered primary care . Following the establishment of the Primary Healthcare Authority, efforts to expand district health networks and optimize the Chronic Disease Co-care Management Scheme have been ongoing .
- Primary care expenditure comprised 30.4% of total recurrent healthcare expenditure in 2024-25, steadily progressing toward the Blueprint's long-term goal of achieving a roughly 3.5:6.5 or even 4:6 balance between primary care and secondary/tertiary care in overall healthcare spending .
- The Health Accounts were compiled according to international guidelines from the System of Health Accounts 2011, jointly published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Eurostat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) .
Why It Matters
This data enables policymakers, researchers, and the public to assess Hong Kong's healthcare system performance over time and compare it with other economies using the same accounting framework . The continued upward trajectory in healthcare spending reflects the growing challenges of population aging and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, underscoring the importance of the government's strategic shift toward sustainable, preventive healthcare.
The government released the 2024-25 Hong Kong Health Accounts report on the 26th, presenting healthcare expenditure flows across a 12-month period.