FRENCH HEALTH CARE SHARE OF GDP RISING

French health care spending has continued to increase as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product, although growth in consumption of health care in volume terms has slowed down.

Data from the accounts commission shows that in 1993 each person spent 11,234 French francs ($3,000) on healthcare, while total medical consumption rose 5.7%, compared with 6.6% in 1992. The figures indicate that while French government efforts to control health spending are bringing results, the share of national resources devoted to the health service continues upwards and, according to the commission, is incompatible with France's current economic position.

Given weak growth in 1992 and the recession last year, health spending as a proportion of GDP rose from 8.3% in 1991, through 8.6% in 1992 to 8.9% last year. The commission says the slowdown in growth in medical consumption "reflects the effect of action taken over several years" to cut spending. Total medical consumption in 1993 was 634.2 billion francs ($114 billion) for medical and health care and 13.6 billion francs ($2.4 billion) for preventive medicine. If the cost of training, research and management outside the social security system is added in, the total bill in 1993 was 734.6 billion francs ($130.7 billion).