Health at a Glance compares key indicators for population health and health system performance across OECD member countries and key emerging economies. This 2021 edition presents the latest comparable data, illustrating differences across countries and over time in terms of health status, risk factors for health, access to and quality of care, and health resources. A special focus is given to the health impact of COVID‑19, including both direct and indirect impacts of the virus on people and health systems.

Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators compares key indicators for population health and health system performance across the 38 OECD member countries. Candidate and partner countries are also included where possible – Brazil, People’s Republic of China (China), India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation (Russia) and South Africa.

COVID‑19 has generated enormous human, social and economic costs, and revealed the underlying fragilities of many health systems to withstand shocks. The pandemic has claimed millions of lives, with many more suffering ill-health as a direct or indirect consequence of the virus. It has placed immense pressure on health care services that were often already overstretched before the pandemic. The pandemic has also shown that effective health spending is an investment, not a cost to be contained: stronger, more resilient health systems protect both populations and economies.

This chapter analyses a core set of indicators on health and health systems. Country dashboards and OECD snapshots shed light on how countries compare across six dimensions: health status, risk factors for health, access, quality and outcomes, health system capacity and resources, and on COVID‑19. Quadrant charts illustrate how much health spending is associated with access, quality and health outcomes.

The health impact of COVID‑19 has been devastating. By mid-October 2021, 240 million people had contracted the virus with nearly 4.9 million dying from it. Moreover, millions of survivors suffer from long-lasting symptoms that prevent a return to normal life. Mental distress has increased substantially. There has also been a clear social gradient to the risk of infection and death from the virus. Furthermore, COVID‑19 has disrupted health care for people with other needs. For example, cancer screening was frequently delayed, non-urgent surgeries postponed, emergency department use dropped, and waiting times for elective surgeries increased. Nevertheless, vaccinations have been a game changer in 2021, reducing the risk of severe illness and death. However, vaccination hesitancy among some population groups and waning vaccine effectiveness are an ongoing challenge.