Metric · Self-pay
Total dental spend (US$): market comparison
Total dental spending
Dental Market Radar Editorial Team · Updated · Data as of
Across 6 of 12 markets with a value, the highest lead value for total dental spend (us$) is Australia at US$8.74 billion and the lowest is Vietnam at US$56.96 million. Bases differ by market, so read the comparability rating beside each value.
Key points
- Australia spent about US$8.74 billion on dental care in 2023, according to World Bank WDI. It is the highest lead value among the markets.
- Vietnam spent about US$56.96 million on dental care in 2019, according to WHO Global Health Observatory OData API. It is the lowest lead value among the markets.
Cite this
Dental Market Radar (dentalmarketradar.com), Total dental spend (US$) comparison, https://dentalmarketradar.com/metrics/dental-spend-total-usd/
Permanent URL: https://dentalmarketradar.com/metrics/dental-spend-total-usd/. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Definition
Total dental spending Unit: USD. Category: Self-pay.
Chart
Comparison table
| Market | Lead value | Basis | As of | Comparability | Calculation | Source | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | US$8.74 billion (stale) Local currency: AUD 13.15 billion | other | Comparability A | Derived. Derived: 13,152.275 million AUD / 1.50519106560508 AUD per USD = 8,737.94 million USD. Headline value per leader ruling L7 (market rate). Calendar-2023 average rate applied to a financial-year spend figure; FY2022-23 average would differ… | World Bank WDI: Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average), Australia | Value (stale) | |
| Saudi Arabia | US$1.25 billion (stale) | estimate | Comparability C | Stored value = quoted number × 1000000 (million USD to USD). | WHO Global Health Observatory API: NHWA dentists (HWF_0010/HWF_0011) and dental expenditure (ORALHEALTH_DENTALHEALTHCARE_EXP_TOTAL), Saudi Arabia | Value (stale) | |
| United Arab Emirates | US$698.54 million (stale) | estimate | Comparability C | Stored value = quoted number × 1000000 (million USD to USD). | WHO Global Health Observatory API: NHWA dentists (HWF_0011) and dental expenditure, United Arab Emirates | Value (stale) | |
| Malaysia | US$358.58 million (stale) | other | Comparability B | Stored value = quoted number × 1000000 (million USD to USD). | KKMNOW dashboard: Health Accounts (SHA 2011), using WHO Global Health Expenditure Database | Value (stale) | |
| Qatar | US$228.7 million (stale) | estimate | Comparability C | Stored value = quoted number × 1000000 (million USD to USD). | WHO Global Health Observatory API: dental expenditure (ORALHEALTH_DENTALHEALTHCARE_EXP_TOTAL), Qatar | Value (stale) | |
| Vietnam | US$56.96 million (stale) | estimate | Comparability C | Stored value = quoted number × 1000000 (million USD to USD). | WHO Global Health Observatory OData API (oral health and health workforce indicators) | Value (stale) | |
| Taiwan | Not published why Only the NHI dental outpatient budget (NT$52.037 billion, 2024) is public; total dental spending including self-pay (implants, orthodontics, dentures, cosmetic) is not published in sources fetched.… | estimate | Comparability C | MOHW press release approving 2024 NHI global budget incl. dental outpatient budget | Not available | ||
| Japan | No figure found why FY2023 (Apr 2023-Mar 2024). Not recorded in USD: MHLW national medical expenditure covers insured care only; dental medical expenditure FY2023 = 3,294.5 billion yen (6.9% of 48,091.5 billion yen).… | other | Comparability C | National Medical Care Expenditure FY2023 (Overview of results) | Not available | ||
| South Korea | No figure found why No fetched primary figure. Candidates: NHIS/HIRA dental benefit expenditure (won) in the health insurance statistical yearbook (insured portion only), OECD Health Expenditure by function (dental).… | other | Comparability C | HIRA healthcare institution status (dental clinic counts) | Not available | ||
| Singapore | No figure found why No reliable figure found. Checked: SingStat M601481 (services industries) only gives 'SSIC 86204/869 - Dental & Other Health Services' combined (operating receipts S$5,776.6m in 2024), not dental… | other | Comparability not rated | SingStat Table Builder (population M810001, GDP per capita M015121, university graduates M850511, health personnel M870011, health facilities M870291, services industries M601481) | Not available | ||
| Thailand | Not published why No reliable figure found. Checked: World Bank WDI health-expenditure indicators (no dental line). Why: Thai NHA dental breakdown not published in reachable sources. Best lead: IHPP National Health… | other | Comparability not rated | World Development Indicators API (Thailand) | Not available | ||
| New Zealand | No figure found why No reliable figure found: the OECD SHA dataset carries only total health spending for New Zealand (no HC.1.3.2 dental line, 2021-2025). Leads: Ministry of Health / Health NZ health expenditure trends… | other | Comparability C | OECD Health Statistics: System of Health Accounts (DSD_SHA@DF_SHA) | Not available |
The headline record leads where one is designated; its basis (for example practising or licensed) and comparability rating are shown next to every value. Per-capita values use the denominator named in the calculation (World Bank total population, same year). Money is shown in US$ at the market exchange rate with local currency beside it.
Other bases and variants
Current records for the same metric that are not the lead value above: other bases, variants and secondary measures (for money, PPP values appear here).
| Market | Value | Basis | As of | Comparability | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | US$9.56 billion | other (USD at purchasing power parity (not market exchange rate)) | Comparability C | Revision 2 (2026-11-09, steward fix): Basis labelled: the value is USD at purchasing power parity, not market exchange rate (DECISIONS L7); declared conversion from millions of PPP dollars. Comparability set to C until… |
Markets with no figure
These markets have no published or reliable figure for total dental spend (us$). We state why and do not estimate.
- Taiwan: Not published (not_published), the authorities do not publish it. See the data record.
- Japan: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- South Korea: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- Singapore: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- Thailand: Not published (not_published), the authorities do not publish it. See the data record.
- New Zealand: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
Comparability notes
A: same definition as the metric. B: close to the metric definition; the difference is noted. C: different basis; use with caution when comparing.
- Taiwan: No official or peer-reviewed national figure located
- Japan: -
- South Korea: n/a: no figure
- Malaysia: SHA 2011 HC.1.3.2 Dental outpatient curative care, current health expenditure, all financing sources (WHO GHED)
- Vietnam: Total expenditure on dental healthcare, million US$ (WHO Global Oral Health Status Report 2022 data)
- Australia: Dental outpatient curative care spending (OECD SHA HC.1.3.2) converted to USD at the market (official average) exchange rate
- New Zealand: Total dental spending
- Saudi Arabia: WHO modelled estimate of total expenditure on dental healthcare, million US$
- United Arab Emirates: WHO modelled estimate of total expenditure on dental healthcare, million US$
- Qatar: WHO modelled estimate of total expenditure on dental healthcare, million US$
What does Total dental spend (US$) measure?
Total dental spending Unit: USD.
Which market has the highest total dental spend (us$)?
Australia spent about US$8.74 billion on dental care in 2023, according to World Bank WDI. It is the highest lead value; other markets use different bases, so compare with care.
Which markets have no figure for total dental spend (us$)?
No figure is available for Taiwan (the authorities do not publish it); Japan (we searched and found nothing); South Korea (we searched and found nothing); Singapore (we searched and found nothing); Thailand (the authorities do not publish it); New Zealand (we searched and found nothing). We do not estimate missing figures.
How many markets have data for total dental spend (us$)?
6 of 12 markets have a sourced value for total dental spend (us$).