---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Other countries spend, on average, only…"
description: "\"“Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of what the U.S. spends per capita on health care. Isn’t it reasonable, therefore, for us to ex..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png"
---

#  Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of…

![“Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of what the U.S. spends per capita on health care. Isn’t it reasonable, therefore, for us to expect our system to rank above theirs? Unfortunately, among these twelve countries, the U.S. system is consistently among the worst performers.” quote by T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png)

> ““Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of what the U.S. spends per capita on health care. Isn’t it reasonable, therefore, for us to expect our system to rank above theirs? Unfortunately, among these twelve countries, the U.S. system is consistently among the worst performers.””

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The U.S. spends far more per person on health care than many other nations, yet its outcomes are often worse.

**In simple terms:** High spending doesn’t guarantee better health results.

Key Takeaway

Question spending efficiency and demand quality.

Themes

health economics policy comparative analysis

Mood

analytical critical

Type

policy comparative

When to use this quote

- policy reform
- budget allocation
- public health strategy

Key Concepts

cost vs outcome systemic inefficiency global benchmarks

Questions to Reflect On

- How can the U.S. improve outcomes without increasing costs?
- What reforms have succeeded elsewhere?

A Different Perspective

Higher spending may reflect higher prices, not better care.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Among The Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/among-the-worst/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/)

## Related quotes

> [It's not as easy as that... it's disappointing to think that all these countries spend a lot of money trying to get the Olympics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/it-s-not-as-easy-as-that-it-s-disappointing-to-think-that-all-these/)

[Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/)

> [“business writer Polly LaBarre notes, “The United States spends more on trash bags than ninety other countries spend on everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/business-writer-polly-labarre-notes-the-united-states-spends-more-on/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Governments of rich countries spend some $6bn of tax money a year on disaster relief and development aid overseas, while each new earthquake, famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buchan/governments-of-rich-countries-spend-some-6bn-of-tax-money-a-year-on/)

[James Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buchan/)

> [There are limits to how much countries can spend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gita-gopinath/there-are-limits-to-how-much-countries-can-spend/)

[Gita Gopinath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gita-gopinath/)

> [If there are countries that discriminate against the gay community, they are the countries that I will not spend my own personal money. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/if-there-are-countries-that-discriminate-against-the-gay-community/)

[Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/)

> [“When the authors combine national expenditures in these social domains with the traditional health accounts, a dozen countries spend in aggregate a higher proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-h-bradley/when-the-authors-combine-national-expenditures-in-these-social/)

[Elizabeth H. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-h-bradley/)

> [“Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst. What is the right use? What is the one end which all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/books-are-the-best-of-things-well-used-abused-among-the-worst-what-is/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Though Israel may often be deserving of criticism, what is missing is the comparable criticism of equal or greater violations by other countries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/though-israel-may-often-be-deserving-of-criticism-what-is-missing-is/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [While I think in principle people should not have irrational beliefs, I should say that as a matter of fact, it is people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/while-i-think-in-principle-people-should-not-have-irrational-beliefs/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [To say that they are the enemy of the people, among the worst human beings on earth, it encourages and legitimizes an anger towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rosenstiel/to-say-that-they-are-the-enemy-of-the-people-among-the-worst-human/)

[Tom Rosenstiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rosenstiel/)

> [Books are the best of things if well used; if abused, among the worst. They are good for nothing but to inspire. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/books-are-the-best-of-things-if-well-used-if-abused-among-the-worst/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Among the worst examples is that of the Alberni Indian Residential School (British Columbia) where, during the 1920s, children caught talking Indian suffered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-churchill/among-the-worst-examples-is-that-of-the-alberni-indian-residential/)

[Ward Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-churchill/)

> [“Korean children are among the worst in the world at social interaction (thirty-fifth out of thirty-six countries surveyed). In school, children are constantly tested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tudor/korean-children-are-among-the-worst-in-the-world-at-social/)

[Daniel Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tudor/)

> [Happiness is normally the prime search of every rational human being. One way to derive increasing happiness during the year we have just entered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/happiness-is-normally-the-prime-search-of-every-rational-human-being/)

[B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/)

> [Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst...They are for nothing but to inspire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/books-are-the-best-of-things-well-used-abused-among-the-worst-they/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More by T. Colin Campbell

> [“These findings—the contents of Part II of this book—show that heart disease, diabetes and obesity can be reversed by a healthy diet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/these-findings-the-contents-of-part-ii-of-this-book-show-that-heart/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“Good health is about being able to fully enjoy the time we do have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/good-health-is-about-being-able-to-fully-enjoy-the-time-we-do-have/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [Perhaps it is a testament to the power of modern marketing savvy that an obese man with heart disease and high blood pressure became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/perhaps-it-is-a-testament-to-the-power-of-modern-marketing-savvy-that/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“The health care establishment is structured to profit from chemical and surgical intervention. Diet still takes the back seat to drugs and surgery. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/the-health-care-establishment-is-structured-to-profit-from-chemical/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“Americans consume more cow’s milk and its products per person than most populations in the world. So Americans should have wonderfully strong bones, right?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/americans-consume-more-cow-s-milk-and-its-products-per-person-than/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“you want to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and then take cholesterol-lowering medication, that’s your right. But if you want to truly take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/you-want-to-eat-bacon-and-eggs-for-breakfast-and-then-take/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“Genetic medicine is the ultimate reductionist fantasy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/genetic-medicine-is-the-ultimate-reductionist-fantasy/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“In one study of ten countries,14 a higher consumption of calcium was associated with a higher—not lower—risk of bone fracture (Chart 10.3”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/in-one-study-of-ten-countries-14-a-higher-consumption-of-calcium-was/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [No chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/no-chemical-carcinogen-is-nearly-so-important-in-causing-human-cancer/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [ Casein \[the main protein found in dairy\], in fact, is the most 'relevant' chemical carcinogen ever identified; its cancer-producin g effects occur in animals… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/casein-the-main-protein-found-in-dairy-in-fact-is-the-most-relevant/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [Everything in food works together to create health or disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/everything-in-food-works-together-to-create-health-or-disease/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [If you flip a coin three times and it lands on heads each time, it’s probably chance. If you flip it a hundred times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/if-you-flip-a-coin-three-times-and-it-lands-on-heads-each-time-it-s/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [Everything in food works together to create health or disease. The more we think that a single chemical characterizes a whole food, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/everything-in-food-works-together-to-create-health-or-disease-the/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“We’ve discovered that cow’s milk protein at reasonable levels of intake markedly promotes experimental cancer growth, which is outside of the nutrition paradigm. We’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/we-ve-discovered-that-cow-s-milk-protein-at-reasonable-levels-of/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“The enjoyment of life, especially the second half of life, is greatly compromised if we can’t see, if we can’t think, if our kidneys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/the-enjoyment-of-life-especially-the-second-half-of-life-is-greatly/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

[Explore all 100 T. Colin Campbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

## More Health quotes

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [Water is life, and clean water means health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/water-is-life-and-clean-water-means-health/)

[Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/)

[Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/)

> [I listen to my body, I give it things it wants and I eliminate things it doesn't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-ekland/i-listen-to-my-body-i-give-it-things-it-wants-and-i-eliminate-things/)

[Britt Ekland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-ekland/)

> [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Mental health is an issue close to my heart - an issue, indeed, I've covered repeatedly for Channel 4 News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/mental-health-is-an-issue-close-to-my-heart-an-issue-indeed-i-ve/)

[Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/)

> [If you’re going to die on screen, you’ve got to be strong and in good health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-garbo/if-you-re-going-to-die-on-screen-you-ve-got-to-be-strong-and-in-good/)

[Greta Garbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-garbo/)

> [Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-patient-carries-her-or-his-own-doctor-inside/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [Not only is a healthy America a strong America - it's vital to our national defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/not-only-is-a-healthy-america-a-strong-america-it-s-vital-to-our/)

[John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/)

[Browse all 17,127 Health quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of what the U.S. spends per capita on health care. Isn’t it reasonable, therefore, for us to expect our system to rank above theirs? Unfortunately, among these twelve countries, the U.S. system is consistently among the worst performers.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "T. Colin Campbell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/other-countries-spend-on-average-only-about-one-half-of-what-the-u-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Health"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/other-countries-spend-on-average-only-about-one-half-of-what-the-u-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/t-colin-campbell-5387_health_other-countries-spend-on-average-only-ab_659638.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Other countries spend, on average, only about one-half of what the U.S. spends per capita on health care…” — T. Colin Campbell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "T. Colin Campbell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Other countries spend, on average, only...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/other-countries-spend-on-average-only-about-one-half-of-what-the-u-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/other-countries-spend-on-average-only-about-one-half-of-what-the-u-s/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
