Life Expectancy and Health Care: Latin America vs. OECD

Mexico allocates a mere 5.5% of its GDP to healthcare, significantly lower than the OECD average of 9.2%, and expends only $1,811 on health per capita.

This is way below the OECD’s $4,986. Mexico has fewer doctors and nurses, too—only 2.5 doctors and 2.9 nurses for every 1,000 people.

The OECD averages are higher, at 3.7 doctors and 9.2 nurses. Mexico also has just one medical bed for every 1,000 people, while the OECD average is 4.3.

Now, looking at Colombia, it’s doing better than the OECD in many health areas. These include the quality of care and how easy it is to get health services.

However, Colombia has fewer doctors and hospital beds for each person compared to the OECD.

Even though Colombians live longer on average, 76.8 years, they still live 3.5 years less than the OECD average.

Colombia also sees more deaths that could have been prevented, 223 for every 100,000 people, which is more than the OECD’s 158.

Only a few Colombians think their health is bad—1.3%, which is way less than the OECD’s 7.9%. Colombia does better than the OECD in 38% of health measures.

Colombians don’t drink as much alcohol either, just 4.1 liters per person, while the OECD average is 8.6 liters.

Colombia has fewer deaths from dirty air, too—26 out of every 100,000 people, a bit better than the OECD’s 28.9.

Even without complete data, Colombia still ranks higher than the OECD in 33% of health care quality indicators.

Most Colombians, 95%, can get basic health services, but only 41% are happy with the quality.

This satisfaction rate is less than the OECD’s 67%. Colombians’ health costs are mostly covered, just like the OECD average.

Colombia Beats the OECD

They spend less of their own money on health, only 14%, compared to the OECD.

Colombia also beats the OECD average in half of the health access measures. But it spends less on health per person, $1,640, and a smaller part of its GDP, 8.1%.

Colombia also has fewer doctors and hospital beds than the OECD average, with only 2.5 doctors and 1.7 beds for every 1,000 people.