Life expectancy, mortality and causes of death In 2020 (or based on the latest year of data): Australia's life expectancy at birth was 83.0 years – above the OECD average of 80.6 years, and the sixth highest among OECD countries.
The latest report on world happiness ranks Australia at No. 12 - where we have been since the COVID pandemic began. That's behind our nearest neighbour New Zealand, which came in at No. 10 on the annual United Nations report.
Australia ranks amongst the highest in the world for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.
Healthcare System Performance Ranking
Key findings: “The top-performing countries overall are Norway, the Netherlands, and Australia. The United States ranks last overall, despite spending far more of its gross domestic product on health care.
Australia matches or performs better than many other comparable countries on selected measures of health. Compared with 35 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), we have: the fifth highest life expectancy at birth for males and the eighth highest for females.
Italy is the world's healthiest country, according to the CEOWORLD magazine ranking that uses data from the United Nations Population Division, the World Bank, the Lancet study, and the World Health Organisation, with Singapore coming at a close second.
Australia achieves substantially better healthcare outcomes than the UK. Cancer survival rates are several percentage points higher, while heart attack and stroke mortality rates are several percentage points lower.
1/ Costa Rica. Costa Rica has the lowest number of hospitals compared to its population, with only 8.7 for every million people. This Central American country might be a dream to visit, but it could be worth bearing in mind the small number of hospitals if you have a condition that may require you to visit one.
The US, Switzerland and Norway are some of the most advanced countries when it comes to the field of medicine, with huge healthcare spending, numerous pharmaceutical companies and sophisticated academia.
Australia is a highly developed country with a mixed economy. As of 2023, Australia was the 13th-largest national economy by nominal GDP (gross domestic product), the 19th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP, and was the 20th-largest goods exporter and 24th-largest goods importer.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources. For a long time, commodities have made up a sizeable share of our exports.
The world's 12th largest economy
Strong growth in 2021 solidified Australia's position as the world's 12th largest economy in 2021. Nominal GDP was around A$2.2 trillion (US$1.6 trillion) in 2021. Australia is home to just 0.3% of the world's population, but accounts for 1.7% of the global economy.
Australia performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Australia outperforms the average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic engagement and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.
A big factor of the Australian health care system is that it doesn't just cater to only those who are sick. Australia puts a big emphasis on disease prevention and health management so that emergency departments and public hospitals don't get overrun, believing that prevention is more cost-effective in the long term.
US hospitals, such as the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, topped Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals 2022. The top 100 also includes clinics in Germany, Italy, France, and other countries. Americans consider the UAE, Spain, Canada, Singapore, Japan, the UK, and Israel popular medical tourism destinations.
All but 43 countries in the world have free healthcare or access to universal healthcare for at least 90% of their citizens according to Hudson's Global Residence Index. However, Brazil is the only country in the world that offers free healthcare for all its citizens.
The U.S. is the unhealthiest country globally because of its high obesity rate and the heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses that go along with it. America has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world—and it's not just adults who are getting heavier and heavier: childhood obesity is also a problem.
New Zealand ranks 20th overall in the World Index of Healthcare Innovation, with a score of 45.97. The island nation ranks highest in Quality (64.66, #6), with high scores for patient-centered care and infrastructure.
Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5. Brisbane missed a top 5 place, ranking 6th, and the nation's capital ranked 12th.
1. Sydney, NSW. Taking first place in this year's healthiest city rankings is Sydney, coming number one in the majority of the different categories. They also place the highest priority on their wellness compared to the rest of Australia, with 70% of Sydneysiders stated that wellness is a high priority for them.
“Australia's combination of public and private health coverage makes it one of the very best systems in the world,” Mr Fleming said. “The health system in the United States is more complex and can be much more expensive, often leaving many without the right level of cover or no cover at all.