in 2017, healthcare costs paid to hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, diagnostic laboratories, pharmacies, medical device manufacturers and other components of the healthcare system, consumed 17.9 percent of the gross domestic product (gdp) of the united states, the largest of any country in the world. it is expected that the health share of the gross domestic product (gdp) will continue its upward trend, reaching 19.9 percent of gdp by 2025. in 2001, for the oecd countries the average was 8.4 percent with the united states (13.9%), switzerland (10.9%), and germany (10.7%) being the top three. us health care expenditures totaled us$2.2 trillion in 2006. according to health affairs, us$7,498 be spent on every woman, man and child in the united states in 2007, 20 percent of all spending. costs are projected to increase to $12,782 by 2016.