By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Korea ranked last among 30 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries in terms of health spending, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday.
According to the ministry's report, titled ``OECD Health Data 2007,'' Korea's total expense on health accounted for only six percent of GDP in 2005, which is the smallest percentage among OECD member countries.
Among the countries with health expenses surpassing 10 percent of GDP were the United States with 15.3 percent; Switzerland, 11.6 percent; France, 11.1 percent; Germany, 10.7 percent; Belgium, 10.3 percent; Portugal, 10.2 percent and Greece, 10.1 percent.
Korea spent $1,318 for health per person on average, lower than the OECD average of $2,759. Countries with spending lower than Korea included Mexico with $675 and Turkey with $586.
The United States had the largest spending on health with $6,401 for each individual on average, which represented five times more than that of Korea.
The portion of Koreans' health expenses covered by the government accounted for 53 percent of the total in 2005, lower than OECD countries' average of 72.5 percent.
However, the overall medical and hygienic conditions in the country improved. The average life span of Koreans was 78.5 years, which almost reached the OECD average of 78.6. The infant mortality rate was 5.3 persons per 1,000 newly born babies in 2002, slightly lower than the OECD's 5.4.
An average of 162.3 people per 100,000 died of cancer, which is lower than the 170.6 OECD average.
Koreans visited their doctors for an average of 11.8 times a year, far above the OECD average of 6.8 times. There were 7.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people, also higher than the OECD average of 5.6. However, the number of doctors was below the average for Koreans at 1.6 per 1,000 compared to 3 for other member states.
Koreans smoke more, but drink less than others in OECD countries. About 25.3 percent of Korean people over 15 years of age smoked, while the OECD member countries marked 24.3 percent on average. A Korean adult drinks an average of 8.1 liters of alcohol a year, which is less than the 9.5 liters OECD average.