Amid rising economic pressures and increasing healthcare costs, government spending on health has become one of the most important indicators of how much states invest in the well-being of their populations and the quality of medical services. Budget data for 2025 and 2026 reveal significant disparities among Arab countries, whether in total allocations, per capita spending, or the share of health in overall public expenditure.
Health budgets typically cover the construction of hospitals and medical centers, the purchase of equipment, medicines and supplies, operating and maintenance costs, as well as salaries of doctors and healthcare workers. Yet a comparison across the region shows a clear gap in both available resources and policy priorities.
Gulf countries lead the region by a wide margin. Qatar ranks first in the Arab world in per capita health spending, exceeding $2,200 annually, with 11.5% of its state budget allocated to the health sector. Saudi Arabia follows, dedicating around $26.8 billion to healthcare, representing 7.7% of public spending and about $775 per person. Oman comes next, with health accounting for 10.8% of total expenditure and a per capita share of roughly $642.
In North Africa, spending levels are significantly lower. Algeria allocates about $8 billion to health, or 6% of its public budget, resulting in per capita spending of $167. Morocco’s health share stands at 4.7%, with about $101 per person, while Tunisia allocates 5.5% of its budget, equivalent to $125 per capita.
The gap is even more pronounced in the Mashreq. Egypt, despite its population exceeding 110 million, records the lowest per capita health spending in the Arab world at only $47, representing 5.4% of public expenditure. In Iraq, health accounts for just 2.4% of the budget, with per capita spending around $78. Jordan’s per capita figure stands at $95 (6.9% of the budget), while Lebanon, despite allocating 8.5% of its public spending to health, reaches only $72 per person due to economic and currency constraints. In Syria, the absence of recent official budget data prevents an accurate assessment.
These figures show that disparities in health spending are not driven solely by differences in wealth, but also by how governments rank health among their policy priorities and how efficiently resources are managed. Investment in healthcare, experts stress, is not merely a budgetary item but a strategic commitment to human development and social stability.
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