Report: US spends more than $9k per person on healthcare

While the U.S. spends the most on healthcare per person — close to $9,237 — Somalia spends the least, at just $33 per person, according to NPR.

Researchers from the Global Burden of Disease Health Financing Collaborator Network analyzed data from 184 countries and found that per person spending varied significantly by country. The analysis, published in two papers in the journal The Lancet, also revealed the amount spent per person did not necessarily translate into better outcomes, according to the report.

Here are four takeaways from the studies.

1. In low-income countries, the government spends the least on healthcare, with additional funding coming from international donors and citizens paying out-of-pocket. In middle-income countries, people still pay out-of-pocket, but the government has a larger capacity to fund healthcare initiatives. In high-income countries, the government and private insurers cover most the population's healthcare costs, according to the report.
2. Researchers discovered that while the U.K. spends less per person on healthcare ($3,749) than the U.S., citizens in the U.K. tend to have a longer life expectancy. The average life expectancy for U.S. citizens is roughly 79.1 years, compared to 80.9 years in the U.K.
3. Analysts forecasted the amount countries that currently spend less than $100 per person would pay in 2040. The analysis indicated the amount would not be much higher. In 2014, the lowest-income countries spent roughly $120 per person on healthcare annually. In 2040, analysts estimated the number would increase to approximately $195 per person annually, according to the report.
4. Researchers noted that several countries, including Nigeria, Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico, have enacted reforms to decentralize their healthcare system and have made significant progress toward providing their citizens with universal healthcare coverage. Researchers speculate lower-income countries, like Somalia, can look to such countries to learn how to provide better healthcare coverage for their citizens while staying within their financial means, according to the report.