"We do not get good value for our health care dollars," Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, told reporters in a telephone briefing. "The United States falls short when compared to other countries."
The Fund, which commissions research on health care and advocates for universal coverage, issued a scorecard in October 2006 that gave the United States a rating of 66 out of a possible 100 on 37 health indicators such as premature death and infant mortality.
Earlier this week the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that Americans spend far more than any other country on health care at $6,401 per person per year in 2005, compared to the OECD average of $2,759.
According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the United States spent $3.8 trillion on healthcare in 2019, which accounted for 17.7% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2018, the United States spent approximately $1.2 trillion on education, which accounted for 5.6% of the country's GDP, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
In 2020, the United States spent $778 billion on defense, which accounted for 3.8% of the country's GDP, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
According to data from the Social Security Administration, the United States spent $1.06 trillion on social security in 2020, which accounted for 4.9% of the country's GDP.
The United States consistently ranks as one of the top spenders in the world in terms of total government expenditure. However, when looking at spending as a percentage of GDP, the US ranks lower compared to other developed countries such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.