The Top 17 Countries for Healthcare
December 23, 2024 · Updated November 6, 2026 · 5 min read
We’ve partnered with the Legatum Institute, a renowned nonprofit research firm, to find the best healthcare in the world. These countries make up the top 10% of health systems worldwide. Where will the U.S. land on this list?
1) Singapore
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The city-state of Singapore tops the Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI) as the best healthcare system in the world. Its health centers run on a semi-private system, encouraging competition to achieve higher standards and better patient outcomes.
2) Japan
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Japan established universal health insurance in 1961 when the government established a national fee schedule for medical care. Equity is the key here, with no incentives for doctors to treat patients differently based on social status. Fees are subsidized for the disabled and people in poverty.
Tokyo has more English-speaking clinics than anywhere else in Japan, and Yokohama, half an hour away by train, gives you more space for the rent.
3) South Korea
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Koreans enjoy a single-payer universal healthcare system, free to choose their doctors while paying nominal amounts for medical care. South Korea also pays less than a third per capita what the U.S. does for healthcare — $3,000 in Korea, $10,000 in the U.S.
4) Taiwan
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Taiwan established its single-payer model in 1995, covering all citizens without bias for ability to pay. Taiwanese citizens can still choose their doctors and pay minimal fees. They view universal medical treatment as a vital factor in fighting poverty.
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5) China
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China rounds out the top 5 on the LPI healthcare rankings. Its public health system covers over 95% of the population, providing basic healthcare to all and offering supplemental insurance for people looking for rapid service.
Shanghai is the most foreigner-friendly of China’s big cities. Most newcomers arrive on an Employment Visa, with the work permit filed by their employer.
6) Israel
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Israel views universal healthcare as a human right for its citizens. Israelis pay 3-5% of their income into one of four health service companies, known collectively as Kupot Cholim, and receive cutting-edge medical care that includes mental health and addiction recovery.
7) Norway
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Norway’s citizens enjoy the benefits of socialized medicine. Their universal healthcare is automatic for all residents, keeping care standards high while out-of-pocket costs stay low, compared to the U.S.
8) Iceland
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Iceland also guarantees universal healthcare access by law. All residents rely on state-run health services for minimal cost. In the event that surgical waiting lists run long, the government pays for patients to travel abroad for treatment.
9) Sweden
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The Swedish Law of Jante philosophy holds that no one is better than anyone else. This approach extends to healthcare, where taxes fund a universal healthcare system that benefits all citizens according to their needs.
10) Switzerland
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All legal residents in Switzerland must carry basic private insurance; insurers cannot exclude pre-existing conditions or make a profit on basic insurance. The Swiss pay about 8% of their income towards healthcare; annual out-of-pocket medical costs max out around $3,500.
11) The Netherlands
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The Netherlands uses a combination of public and private healthcare coverage to treat all residents. Here, the government funds all long-term health treatments, while private insurers manage short-term care needs like GP visits, hospitalizations, specialists, etc.
12) Luxembourg
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Every resident in Luxembourg (including expats!) can access healthcare services, regardless of their income or employer. This principle of universal coverage and equality for all results in one of the highest life expectancies in Europe — 86 years for women, 81 for men.
13) Germany
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Germany extends universal healthcare to its residents, offering free choice in which doctors and hospitals you can use. Health services are low-cost and efficient. The chief medical officer of a German hospital explains their approach well: ” We don’t want patients to worry about money. We want them to worry about getting better.”
14) Hong Kong
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Just like the rest of mainland China, Hong Kong provided healthcare for everyone at virtually no cost. Expats can access this health system as soon as they reach the city with a valid visa and get their Hong Kong ID card.
15) Finland
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Finland’s healthcare system ranks in the top 10% of countries for one simple reason: they believe everyone deserves proper medical service. Finns guarantee access for all by keeping medical costs low; in 2023, a resident’s out-of-pocket maximum was €592.16 (about $626).
16) Denmark
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Danish citizens enjoy equal access to free healthcare services. This even includes home health care for seniors, an expense that bankrupts American families each year. Denmark’s health system is so efficient that it costs almost half the U.S. approach; Danish healthcare cost 9.5% of GDP in 2022, while the U.S. spent 18.3% of GDP that year.
17) Italy
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Italy uses a decentralized approach to bring quality healthcare to its population, providing universal coverage that’s free on delivery. Private supplemental insurance helps many families to expand on the government’s generous coverage and rounds out the best countries worldwide for healthcare.
Where does the U.S. rank?
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According the Legatum Institute, the United States doesn’t fall within the top 10% of countries for its healthcare system. It doesn’t even make the top 25%. Out of 165 countries evaluated on the LPI, the U.S. comes in 69th place for healthcare, behind countries like Bahrain (50th), Iran (58th), and Panama (57th). The U.S. healthcare system ranks so low due to high costs, unequal access, and worse health outcomes.