10 Stats from the World Health Statistics Report 2013

The World Health Organisation’s Health Statistics report holds an almost mythical position in the public health community as the fountain of knowledge. It collects vast amounts of data on a huge selection of issues which effect health worldwide. Within its endless charts and figures many golden nuggets of information are waiting to be found. We have sifted through that knowledge to bring you some of the most curious, frightening or intriguing statistics.

76% - The measles immunisation coverage of 1 year olds is the same in Austria as it is in Iraq and Cameroon

26%- The education of the mother is a great indicator of whether a child will be immunised or not, with a 26% difference between low education mothers (60%) and mothers educated to secondary or higher level (86%)

3X- The per capita total expenditure on health has increased by almost 3 times between 2000 and 2010 from $104 to $302. (USD at average exchange rate)

Public Private- The median availability of selected generics in public health systems was 46% while in private systems it was 70.2%

Smoking- Kiribati is the nation with the highest proportion of male smokers, with 71% of men over 15 smoking tobacco products. Nauru has the highest proportion of female smokers with 50% of women over15 smoking

Nauru- The world’s smallest republic is the most obese nation on earth with 67.5% of males and 74.7% of females over 20 years old being classified as obese

67.2- Cuba has 67.2 doctors per 10,000 population, the second highest in the world (next to Monaco-70.6) and over 4X the global median of 14.2 doctors per 10,000

20.8%- Sierra Leone’s total expenditure on health as a percentage of gross domestic product is 20.8%, the highest in the world.

31%- In Japan almost 1 person in 3 is over 60 years old

86,440- Gross national income per capita in Qatar is the highest in the world $86,440 (adjusted for price power parity), 11X the global median amount