Total Health Expenditures by Use of Funds, Annual Average, 1975-2010

The chart shows how the distribution of the main categories of health spending has changed over time since 1975. Spending on hospitals has declined from 44% of total expenditures in the 1970s to 29% in the 2000s. Conversely, spending on drugs has almost doubled from 9% to 16% in the same time periods. The category called Other Health Expenditures, which includes public health and health research, also increased from 9% to 16% during these periods. Other categories of health spending were relatively unchanged.

Data source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975-2010.