What is the cost of the NHS per person in the UK?
£2700 per person per year – £180 billion for NHSC divided by 67 million population.
How do we know this?
We don’t really. Why? It is actually very hard to say, as it is surprisingly difficult to define the NHS.
For example, does it include all the 4 nations, as they have different NHSs. Does it include healthcare for the armed services? Does it include arms length bodies like NICE, HEE, CQC and UKHSA? What about public health (UKHSA)? It is not clear.
Either way, the NHS is not cheap, and the NHS is not free.
Total UK central government funding for health in the UK in 2022/23 (including spending by central government departments and devolved administrations) is about £180 billion. This is about 10% of total GDP (Gross Domestic Product), i.e. about 10% of your taxes. This is in line with other developed countries.
NHS England runs the NHS in England for the DHSC. It receives the largest amount (about £160 billion), as it has the biggest population. £140 billion of this budget is allocated to the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs; which took over from CCGs in April 2022).
Summary
We have explained what is the cost of the NHS per person in the UK. About £2700 per person per year.
Last Reviewed on 10 March 2024