NZ's drug spend less than half of other countries

22/10/2025 7 min
NZ's drug spend less than half of other countries

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Episode Synopsis


New Zealand's drug spend is less than half that of other comparable countries according to a new report by the Institute of Economic Research. It also found Aotearoa spends the highest percentage of its health budget on services like hopsitals & specialists. That top end spend is apparently not reflected in key health outcomes. NZIER principal economist Sarah Hogan spoke to Lisa Owen.