TABLE 1.

Key indicators comparing 12 health systems

	Asia					Australasia		Europe			North America
	HK	Japan	Singapore	South Korea	Taiwan	Australia	NZ	Germany	Netherlands	UK	Canada	USA
Population (million)	7	127	4.7	48.5	23	21.2	4.2	82.3	16.7	61	33.4	307
% popn > 65 yrs	13.1	22.2	8.9	10.8	10.7	13.5	12.8	20.3	14.9	16.2	15.2	12.8
GDP/capita (US$ PPP)	42,700	32,600	50,300	28,000	29,800	38,800	27,300	34,100	39,200	35,200	38,400	46,400
Live births per woman	1.02	1.21	1.09	1.21	1.14	1.78	2.1	1.41	1.66	1.66	1.58	2.05
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births	2.9	2.6	2.3	4.1	4.9	4.2	4.8	3.8	4.1	5	5	6.7
Life expectancy	81.8	82.6	82	79.4	78	81.4	80.2	79.8	80.2	79.1	80.7	78.1
GDP health expenditure	5.5	8.1	4	6.8	6.2	8.7	9.2	10.4	9.8	8.4	10.1	16
Total health spending per capita (US$ PPP)	n/a	2,581	1,536	1,491	950	3,137	2,510	3,588	3,837	2,992	3,895	7,290
Public spending %	52	81.3	33	52.7	65.4	67.7	78	76.9	62.5*	81.7	69.8	45.4
Practising physicians per 1,000 popn	1.4	2.1	1.4	1.74	1.5	2.8	2.3	3.5	3.9	2.5	2.18	2.3
Ambulatory care physician consultations per capita	12**	13.6	5**	11.8	13.4***	6.3	4.7	7.5	5.7	5	5.8	3.8
PHC gatekeeping	yes	no	yes	no	no	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	no
Formal enrolment policy	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	yes	yes	no	no
PHC doctor payment system	FFS**** private /govt-funded clinics	mix FFS / social insurance	FFS private / govt-funded clinics	mix FFS / social insurance	mix FFS / social insurance	mix FFS / social insurance	FFS / capitation	mix FFS / social insurance	mix FFS / private insurance	capitation	FFS	FFS

Sources: CIA 2009; OECD 2009; WHO 2009

^*2002

^**Authors' estimates derived from Census and Statistics Department 2009; Singapore Department of Statistics 2009

^***Chen et al. 2006

^****Fee for service