U.S. health spending rose 7.3% to $5.7 trillion in 2025
U.S. health care spending climbed 7.3% in 2025 to reach $5.7 trillion, or roughly $16,500 per person, according to government figures published in Health Affairs . Spending is projected to exceed $6 trillion in 2026.
The increase outpaced what budget analysts had expected, and the drivers are mostly about volume rather than one-off shocks: Americans visited doctors, underwent hospital procedures, and filled prescriptions more often, on top of already high U.S. prices. GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs are emerging as a distinct and fast-growing spending category. The data point to a familiar squeeze — health care consuming a steadily larger share of the economy even as affordability remains a top public concern — and they sharpen the stakes of ongoing fights over drug pricing and coverage for the new weight-loss medicines.