Australia

Australian healthcare is characterised by a mix of public and private health service provision. Around 70% of total expenditure on health comes from the government, with a Medicare system which is a compulsory and universal system to subsidise healthcare for all, funded by a specific progressive tax and by the broader income tax.

There are political tensions in the country to move towards a more private system, especially given Australia's aging population. Being a developed country, non-communicable diseases constitute the vast majority of mortality. The pharmaceutical industry in Australia is one of its leading exporters in the manufacturing sector, providing medicine both domestically and abroad. It accounts for 1% of the global pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical imports are exempt from all tariffs but the Australian Goods and Services Tax (levied at 10%) applies. Vaccines are exempt from both.