World Health Organization ranking of health systems in 2000


Ranking
CountryAttainment of goals / Health / Level Attainment of goals / Health / DistributionAttainment of goals / Health / Overall goal attainmentHealth expenditure per capita in international dollarsPerformance / On level of healthPerformance / Overall health system performance
Afghanistan1640183184150173
102128861496455
446356244581
1025172374
165178181164165181
Antigua and Barbuda4858715612386
Argentina396049347175
41638110256104
Australia21712173932
Austria178106159
659910316260109
10967642213798
617258483042
Bangladesh14012513114410388
533638368746
8346537411672
162613152821
9495104883469
15713214317113697
13815814413573124
Bolivia133118117101142126
5679791057090
18714616885188169
Brazil1111081255478125
594237327640
Bulgaria6053749692102
178137159173162132
179154161186171143
Cambodia148150166140157174
156160163131172164
Canada12187103530
Cape Verde11812312615055113
175189190178164189
161175177175161178
32133442333
People's Republic of China8110113213961144
Colombia744441495122
Comoros146143137165141118
150142155122167166
6792886195107
Costa Rica404545502536
383336565743
Cuba3341401183639
Cyprus253128392224
Czech Republic351930408148
Democratic Republic of the Congo174174179188185188
28212086534
166169170163163157
263542705935
799766924251
931331079796111
Egypt1151411101154363
871151228337115
152151152129174171
Eritrea169167176187148158
Estonia6943486011577
Ethiopia182176186189169180
10411211181110123
10671788712496
Finland202722184431
France3126441
14413614195143139
143155153158109146
Georgia44617612584114
Germany22201434125
Ghana149149139166158135
Greece7623301114
498268674985
1291061131309978
167166172159160161
170177180156156176
98126116109104128
Haiti153152145155139138
9211912910048131
6240435910566
Iceland192416142715
India1913121133118112
Indonesia1031561061549092
Iran96113114945893
Iraq12613012411775103
Ireland271325253219
Israel23724194028
Italy614111132
155181157153133137
36876989853
Japan13113910
Jordan10183849810083
Kazakhstan122526211213564
Kenya162135142152178140
125121123103144142
685446416845
Kyrgyzstan123122135146134151
Laos147147154157155165
82566777121105
958893469791
171164173123186183
181191187181176186
Libya10710297849487
634852719373
1822553116
6485891066989
172168167190173159
189187182161187185
Malaysia894955938649
13013412876147147
Mali183180178179170163
2138313725
12112011980140141
Mauritania158163169141151162
7877906911384
Mexico556551556361
886491108106101
93018121213
131148136145138145
Morocco11011194991729
180190185160168184
Myanmar139162175136129190
17717316566189168
13651754216698
Nepal14216116017098150
Netherlands1315891917
New Zealand311626208041
117961011047471
190184188185177170
Nigeria163188184176175187
85100102127108121
North Korea137145149172153167
1543161811
Oman7259596218
Pakistan12418313314285122
11266634712582
479370536795
145157150137146148
Paraguay715773915257
10510311578119129
Philippines113505412412660
Poland45534588950
Portugal293432281312
Qatar665547275344
Romania80787210711199
Russia916910075127130
185185171177181172
86919851122100
548687865468
438992903874
978182121131119
San Marino119212153
132139138167117133
Saudi Arabia587061631026
Senegal15110511814313259
1087383528356
Sierra Leone191186191183183191
Singapore30292738146
423939458862
Slovenia342329296238
1271171081342080
173179189191154179
South Africa16012815157182175
South Korea5137353110758
Spain511192467
Sri Lanka7680801386676
Sudan154159148169149134
77941057277110
164140164116184177
428472123
Switzerland810222620
Syria11410711211991108
Tajikistan120124127126145154
Tanzania176172158174180156
Thailand9974576410247
159170156180159152
75848573114116
Trinidad and Tobago577556657967
9011477794652
Turkey7310996823370
Turkmenistan128131130128152153
119116120151128136
United Arab Emirates506244351627
Uganda186138162168179149
United Kingdom1429262418
Ukraine70476011110179
United States24321517237
376850335065
Uzbekistan100144109120112117
135127134132120127
Venezuela527665682954
Vietnam116104140147130160
Yemen14116514618282120
46909511347106
188171174148190182
18498147110191155

Methodology

The rankings are based on an index of five factors:
The WHO rankings are claimed to have been subject to many and varied criticisms since its publication. Concerns raised over the five factors considered, data sets used and comparison methodologies have led health bodies and political commentators in most of the countries on the list to question the efficacy of its results and validity of any conclusions drawn. Such criticisms of a broad endeavour by the WHO to rank all the world's healthcare systems must also however be understood in the context of a predisposition to analytical bias commensurate with an individual nation's demographics, socio-economics and politics. In considering such a disparate global spectrum, ranking criteria, methodology, results and conclusions will always be an area for contention.
In over a decade of discussion and controversy over the WHO Ranking of 2000, there is still no consensus about how an objective world health system ranking should be compiled. Indeed, the 2000 results have proved so controversial that the WHO declined to rank countries in their World Health Reports since 2000, but the debate still rages on. With burgeoning and ageing populations, spiralling costs and the recognition by most national governments that constant vigilance and periodic healthcare reform are necessary, the appetite for a means of measuring national performance in broader world contexts is ever increasing and all the more relevant. With this in mind, and in lieu of any further ranking information from the WHO since 2000, there are many analytical bodies now looking at national healthcare delivery in global contexts and publishing their findings. Bloomberg finds "the U.S. spends the most on health care on a relative cost basis with the worst outcome" and notes Cubans live longer than Americans, but Americans pay more than fourteen times as much for less effective health care. The Commonwealth Fund ranked seven developed countries on health care, the US ranked lowest.