Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Latest Data: 2021

This data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Annual State Survey of Government Finances” which gives the state governments’ general expenditures for each function the government performs. Health expenditures are defined as “provision of services for the conservation and improvement of public health, other than hospital care, and financial support of other governments’ health programs” (U.S. Bureau of the Census Government Finance and Employment Classification Manual Ch. 5, p. 37).

Health expenditures refers to the total amount spent by the state on health given in millions.

The health expenditures percentage is calculated as the amount spent on health divided by total government expenditures. Health expenditures per capita is calculated as the amount spent on health divided by the state population in the given year.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Expenditures comprise all amounts of money paid out by a government during its fiscal year, with some exceptions. Statistics on state government finance include measurement of expenditures by character (e.g., current operations, capital outlay, intergovernmental expenditures, and so on) and function (e.g., education, health, public welfare, natural resources, and so on). Expenditure does not include a government's payment of its debt, or purchases of investment securities, loans it has granted, agency or private trust transactions, nor correcting transactions” (State Government Finances Methodology).