Percentage of Healthcare Costs in a Singaporean's Household Expenditure

21 November 2011

Question No. 29

Name of person: Mr Gerald Giam

Question

To ask the Minister for Health in each of the past 10 years what percentage do healthcare/medical costs form in a Singaporean's household expenditure.

Answer

1. The Household Expenditure Survey (HES), is conducted once in every five years, and the most recent information on household expenditure on healthcare is available from the HES 2002/03 and 2007/08.

2. Based on the HES 2002/03, households spent $174 per month on healthcare, or 4.7% of their average monthly household expenditure. In the HES 2007/08, they spent an average of $231 per month on healthcare, or 5.3% of their average monthly household expenditure.

3. The annualised growth in household expenditure on health was about 5.8% from 2002/03 to 2007/08. Over the same period, government health expenditure per resident household grew by about 7.1% per year.