What a hospital birth costs: United States vs. other countries
A vaginal delivery in hospital with no complications.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for a hospital birth, from one report on the same basis: $8,655 in the United States, $3,002 in the United Kingdom, $1,361 in Germany, $5,318 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 | $8,655 (iFHP) | $2,563 on average with employer insurance (Peterson-KFF) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $2,182 to $4,069 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included, depending on the type of birth (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $3,002 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | €2,600.92 to €3,164.11: 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 | $1,361 (iFHP) | Maternity care is exempt from co-payments (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥482,000 (MHLW Japan) | The insurer pays a ¥500,000 birth allowance per child toward the cost (MHLW Japan) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $5,318 (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.