What a C-section birth costs: United States vs. other countries
A cesarean delivery with a hospital stay and no complications.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for a C-section birth, from one report on the same basis: $13,601 in the United States, $8,910 in the United Kingdom, $2,419 in Germany, $7,742 in Australia. Source: International Health Care Cost Comparison Report 2024 (Report dated October 2024. Prices are for 2022.). These are not what one patient was charged; what patients pay is in the table.
| Country | Price paid to the hospital | What a patient usually pays | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $13,601 (iFHP) | $3,071 on average with employer insurance, for the pregnancy, birth and postpartum care together (Peterson-KFF) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $3,949 to $6,769 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included, depending on the type of case (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $8,910 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | €3,573.64: the set payment to a public hospital for the stay, no complications (ATIH) | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $2,419 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥201,400: the national fee for a planned cesarean alone. The hospital stay, anaesthesia and materials are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $7,742 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.