The report: The Forgotten Health Spend: A Report on the Expenditure Deficit in Rural Australia, commissioned by the National Rural Health Alliance with the support of the John T Reid Charitable Trusts, provides an updated analysis of government health expenditure and access across rural, regional and remote Australia. The analysis covers health, disability and aged care funding.
The previous report which was titled Evidence Base for Additional Investment in Rural Health in Australia, released in 2023 (analysing 2020-21 figures), established a benchmark for understanding rural health funding disparities. It revealed non-urban Australians received $6.55 billion less than their urban counterparts equating to $848.02 less spent on a rural per compared to someone living in a city each year (age-standardised).
The Forgotten Health Spend Report uses updated 2023–24 data and shows this shortfall has increased by a further $110 per capita, even after adjusting for inflation.
The updated annual rural health expenditure deficits is summarised:
The gap is most pronounced in remote areas (MMM 5–7), where per capita expenditure is now $4,701 lower than in metropolitan areas. The report underscores that while targeted programs improve access in some regions, systemic issues such as service shortages, workforce challenges, and limited infrastructure continue to drive inequity, pointing to the need for coordinated, regionally tailored solutions.
