Rise in health spending as a share of GDP is largely driven by prices, not use of health care: Inflation-adjusted health spending as a share of inflation-adjusted GDP, nominal health spending as a share of nominal GDP, and price indexes for GDP and health care, 1960–2016
| Year | Health spending, real | Health spending, nominal | Health care price index | GDP price index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 9.39% | 4.94% | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| 1961 | 9.63% | 5.03% | 1.019 | 1.011 |
| 1962 | 9.91% | 5.22% | 1.036 | 1.023 |
| 1963 | 10.14% | 5.38% | 1.062 | 1.035 |
| 1964 | 10.60% | 5.64% | 1.086 | 1.051 |
| 1965 | 10.41% | 5.80% | 1.111 | 1.070 |
| 1966 | 10.28% | 5.93% | 1.155 | 1.100 |
| 1967 | 10.50% | 6.15% | 1.215 | 1.132 |
| 1968 | 10.81% | 6.37% | 1.283 | 1.180 |
| 1969 | 11.27% | 6.56% | 1.365 | 1.238 |
| 1970 | 11.93% | 6.82% | 1.462 | 1.304 |
| 1971 | 12.35% | 6.99% | 1.526 | 1.370 |
| 1972 | 12.56% | 7.31% | 1.584 | 1.429 |
| 1973 | 12.75% | 7.45% | 1.652 | 1.507 |
| 1974 | 13.28% | 7.47% | 1.797 | 1.642 |
| 1975 | 13.93% | 7.55% | 1.990 | 1.794 |
| 1976 | 13.78% | 7.94% | 2.173 | 1.893 |
| 1977 | 13.75% | 8.24% | 2.350 | 2.010 |
| 1978 | 13.66% | 8.36% | 2.545 | 2.152 |
| 1979 | 13.75% | 8.48% | 2.785 | 2.329 |
| 1980 | 14.20% | 8.74% | 3.114 | 2.539 |
| 1981 | 14.47% | 9.06% | 3.491 | 2.776 |
| 1982 | 14.78% | 9.34% | 3.882 | 2.949 |
| 1983 | 14.58% | 9.57% | 4.235 | 3.065 |
| 1984 | 13.86% | 9.83% | 4.552 | 3.174 |
| 1985 | 13.70% | 10.04% | 4.832 | 3.275 |
| 1986 | 13.67% | 10.17% | 5.122 | 3.341 |
| 1987 | 13.77% | 10.44% | 5.448 | 3.427 |
| 1988 | 13.75% | 10.95% | 5.862 | 3.546 |
| 1989 | 13.48% | 11.37% | 6.363 | 3.684 |
| 1990 | 13.70% | 11.91% | 6.899 | 3.821 |
| 1991 | 13.98% | 12.26% | 7.433 | 3.948 |
| 1992 | 13.88% | 12.67% | 7.946 | 4.038 |
| 1993 | 13.62% | 12.96% | 8.349 | 4.134 |
| 1994 | 13.25% | 13.04% | 8.671 | 4.222 |
| 1995 | 13.23% | 13.13% | 8.955 | 4.310 |
| 1996 | 13.09% | 13.16% | 9.159 | 4.389 |
| 1997 | 13.01% | 13.20% | 9.330 | 4.464 |
| 1998 | 13.02% | 13.29% | 9.500 | 4.512 |
| 1999 | 12.82% | 13.37% | 9.720 | 4.581 |
| 2000 | 12.85% | 13.44% | 9.999 | 4.685 |
| 2001 | 13.44% | 13.76% | 10.351 | 4.792 |
| 2002 | 13.98% | 14.43% | 10.646 | 4.866 |
| 2003 | 14.07% | 14.97% | 11.029 | 4.963 |
| 2004 | 14.06% | 15.24% | 11.420 | 5.099 |
| 2005 | 14.03% | 15.38% | 11.781 | 5.263 |
| 2006 | 14.09% | 15.57% | 12.149 | 5.425 |
| 2007 | 14.24% | 15.84% | 12.549 | 5.570 |
| 2008 | 14.60% | 15.95% | 12.881 | 5.679 |
| 2009 | 15.28% | 16.22% | 13.242 | 5.722 |
| 2010 | 15.08% | 16.52% | 13.600 | 5.792 |
| 2011 | 15.21% | 16.58% | 13.889 | 5.911 |
| 2012 | 15.18% | 16.71% | 14.175 | 6.020 |
| 2013 | 15.11% | 16.69% | 14.350 | 6.117 |
| 2014 | 15.28% | 16.97% | 14.554 | 6.227 |
| 2015 | 15.61% | 17.47% | 14.726 | 6.295 |
| 2016 | 15.88% | 17.68% | 14.977 | 6.375 |
Sources: Data on health spending from CMS 2018. Data on GDP and price indices for overall GDP and health spending from the Bureau of Economic Analysis 2018 National Income and Product Accounts.