What is Healthcare in New Zealand?

The healthcare system of New Zealand has undergone significant changes throughout the past several decades. From an essentially fully public system based on the Social Security Act 1938, reforms have introduced market and health insurance elements primarily since the 1980s, creating a mixed public-private system for delivering healthcare.

In 2012, New Zealand spent 8.7% of GDP on healthcare, or US$3,929 per capita. Of that, approximately 77% was government expenditure. In a 2010 study, New Zealand was shown to have the lowest level of medication use in 14 developed countries , and also spent the lowest amount on healthcare amongst the same list of countries, with US$2510 per capita, compared to the United States at US$7290.