Public healthcare is a major component of a state’s budget planning. Most European countries have a functioning system, admittedly varying in terms of its efficiency.

Some analysts says the U.S. healthcare system is the most flawed compared to other countries when factoring in the per capita cost. But how much worse is it? There are many ways of approaching that question but comparing per capita healthcare spending in different nations is a good way to start. As our chart (compiled with OECD data) illustrates, U.S. health spending per capita (including public and private spending) is higher than it is anywhere else in the world, and yet, the country lags behind other nations in several aspects such as life expectancy and health insurance coverage.