AMERICA spends more on health than any other rich country—total public and private expenditure amounted to a huge 15.3% of GDP in 2005, according to the OECD's annual health report published on Wednesday July 18th. This is well above the 30-country OECD average of 9%. South Korea spends least, at 6%. But, higher spending won't necessarily mean a longer life. It may seem like hair-splitting to quibble over a few years, but life expectancy in most other rich countries is higher than America's 77.8 years. For instance, Japan spends 8% of GDP on health and has a life expectancy of 82.

AFP