The expenditures with final consumption of health goods and services in Brazil reached R$ 283.6 billion in 2009. This amount – spent by households, government and non-profit organizations – corresponded to 8.8% of the GDP in that year.

The consumption of health services – like hospital care and medical appointments, among others – involved 5.6% of the GDP, whereas the expenditures with final consumption of medicines reached 1.9%.

 The per capita public expenditures with consumption of health goods and services were of R$ 645.27 in 2009. On the other hand, the per capita private expenditures were of R$ 835.65 in that year.

 Between 2007 and 2009, the families were responsible, on average, for 56.3% of the expenditures with final consumption of health goods and services.

However, the consumption of these goods and services by the government – 6.3% in 2008 and 5.2% in 2009 – grew more than of the families – 5.3% and 3.5%, respectively – in relation to the previous year.

 The revenue generated by health economic activities – R$ 173.3 billion – grew 2.7% in 2009, decelerating in relation to 2008, when it had risen 5.9%.

The share of health activities in the value added – generated revenue – of the Brazilian economy was of 6.2% in 2009, when 4.5% of the job positions and 7.8% of the compensations paid to workers were in activities related to health. 

More detailed information can be found in Health Satellite Account 2007-2009. This publication provides information about economic activities, goods and services related to health, including data on value added, generation of jobs, investments and consumption.

The complete publication is available on https://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/economia/economia_saude/css_2007_2009/default.shtm. 

Expenditure of households with health goods and services slows down between 2008 and 2009

 The expenditure of the households with the consumption of health goods and services reached R$ 157.1 billion in 2009, 4.8% of the GDP.

The expenditure of the public administration with these goods and services was of R$ 123.6 billion, 3.8% of the GDP. Non-profit institutions servicing households spent R$ 2.9 billion, 0.1% of the GDP. As a result, the consumption of health goods and services reached 8.8% of the GDP in 2009. 

The expenditure of the households with the consumption of health goods and services showed a real growth – discounted inflation – of 5.3% in 2008 and 3.5% in 2009. The expenditure of the government with these goods and services grew 6.3% and 5.2%, respectively.

In 2009, the major final consumption expenditures of the households were with other services related to health care, like medical and dentist appointments, laboratory tests, etc.

(36.3% of the total) and with medicines for human use (35.8%).

Expenditure of public administration with public health reaches R$ 124 billion

The largest part of the expenditure of the public administration with health goods and services in 2009 – R$ 123.6 billion – was with public health (66.4% of the total).

Conversely, the private production of services – produced in private establishments hired by the Unified Health System (SUS) – was responsible for 10.8% of the expenditures with consumption of health by the government. The final consumption expenditures with medicines for free distribution corresponded to 5.1%.

Revenue generated by health rises 2.7% in 2009, but decelerates in relation to 2008

 In 2009, the value added of the economic activities related to health – revenue generated by the sector – rose 2.7%, less than from 2007 to 2008, when it increased 5.9%.

Health activities were directly responsible for a revenue generation of R$ 173.3 billion in 2009, representing 6.2% of the total value added of the economy in that year, compared with 6.0% in 2008.

Health activities were responsible for 4.5% of job positions in Brazil

The share of job positions in health activities in the total job positions in Brazil changed from 4.4% in 2007 to 4.5% in 2009. Approximately 115,000 new positions were created by health activities in that period.

Health activities were responsible for 4.3 million jobs in 2009. Nevertheless, it does not correspond to the number of employed persons, once a person may occupy more than one job position.

Between 2007 and 2009, the activities that mostly increased job positions were other activities related to health care – with 37,600 new positions – and public health – with 36,500.