In both cases, around one third of total spending on health is now in the private sector.


The OECD's "Health Statistics 2015" show that overall health spending in 2013 continued its downward trend among most European Union member states, with Portugal and Italy seeing falls for three straight years, and Greece for four years.


"Most OECD member countries in the European Union showed spending per capita on health below 2009 levels," the report states. "Outside Europe, these expenditure increased at a rate of 2.5% a year since 2010."


On average in the OECD, three quarters of healthcare spending is by the public sector, "but cost-containment measures taken by some states led to an increase in private consumption" either through health insurance or direct spending by households, the report noted.


"In Greece and Portugal, the private share in health spending grew four points since 2009, which represents the largest increase in the OECD area, and means that one third of total health spending was financed by private sources in 2013," it stated.