<P> Comparison of the healthcare systems in Canada and the United States is often made by government, public health and public policy analysts . The two countries had similar healthcare systems before Canada changed its system in the 1960s and 1970s . The United States spends much more money on healthcare than Canada, on both a per - capita basis and as a percentage of GDP . In 2006, per - capita spending for health care in Canada was US $3,678; in the U.S., US $6,714 . The U.S. spent 15.3% of GDP on healthcare in that year; Canada spent 10.0% . In 2006, 70% of healthcare spending in Canada was financed by government, versus 46% in the United States . Total government spending per capita in the U.S. on healthcare was 23% higher than Canadian government spending, and U.S. government expenditure on healthcare was just under 83% of total Canadian spending (public and private) though these statistics don't take into account population differences . </P> <P> Studies have come to different conclusions about the result of this disparity in spending . A 2007 review of all studies comparing health outcomes in Canada and the US in a Canadian peer - reviewed medical journal found that "health outcomes may be superior in patients cared for in Canada versus the United States, but differences are not consistent ." Some of the noted differences were a higher life expectancy in Canada, as well as a lower infant mortality rate than the United States . </P>

How much does canada spend per person on healthcare