A new 2025 global report on international private medical insurance (IPMI) shows massive differences in healthcare costs depending on where you live. Premiums continue to rise worldwide, driven by ageing populations, medical inflation, and demand for private hospital access among expats.

Here’s a breakdown of the findings by region based on average annual premiums across three profiles (age 24, 35, 50).

🇺🇸🇨🇦 North America – The Highest in the World

• The United States remains the most expensive IPMI market on earth, averaging $17,968/year.
• Canada sits mid-table at around $7,832/year, far cheaper than the US but still above many European and Asian markets.
• Key drivers: extremely high hospital costs, provider pricing power, and comprehensive benefits required for expats.

🇭🇰🇸🇬🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷 East Asia – Consistently Expensive

Countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Japan dominate the top 10.

• Hong Kong: #2 globally at $16,175
• Singapore: #3 globally at $14,231
• China: #4 at $12,150
• Japan: #6 at $10,350
• South Korea: mid-range at $8,241

Why so high?
World-class private hospitals, strong medical tourism industries, and dense expat populations push premiums upward.

🌏 Southeast & South Asia – Moderate but Rising

• Thailand is surprisingly high at #9 ($9,854) due to premium private hospital chains.
• Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, India sit between $6.7K – $7.9K on average. Costs are rising across the region as healthcare modernises and more expats choose private inpatient coverage.

🇪🇺 Europe – Mid-Range, With Outliers

Western Europe falls mostly in the $6K–$11K range.

• UK: #5 ($11,726) – driven by private sector reliance
• Switzerland: #15 ($8,912)
• France: #22 ($8,005)
• Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands all cluster around $7K–$8K

Eastern Europe is cheaper:

• Romania and others fall around $6,300, near the bottom of global rankings.

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Oceania – Stable Mid-Tier Costs

• Australia: $8,540
• New Zealand: $7,795 Comparable to Western Europe; premiums rise slower than in Asia or North America.

🇧🇷🇲🇽🇨🇱🇦🇷🇨🇴 Latin America – Affordable to Mid-Range

A mix depending on country:

• Brazil, Mexico, Chile: $8.4K–$10.1K
• Argentina, Colombia: $7.1K–$8.2K

Latin America offers some of the best value private healthcare for expats, though inflation varies widely by market.

🌍 Middle East & Gulf – Mixed

• UAE: $9,680 – high due to mandatory coverage and premium hospital groups
• Qatar, Bahrain: $8K–$9K
• Saudi Arabia & Kuwait: $7K–$7.5K

Costs reflect strong private healthcare systems supported by expat-majority populations.

🌍 Africa – Lower to Mid-Range

• South Africa: ~$7,199
• Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt: ~$6,500 Private healthcare can be expensive relative to income, but global IPMI pricing remains lower than most regions.

📌 Global Observations

• The US, Hong Kong, and Singapore are consistently the most expensive IPMI markets.
• Western Europe and Oceania sit comfortably in the global middle tier.
• Southeast Asia is affordable in comparison but rising fast.
• Emerging markets (Africa, South Asia, parts of Latin America) remain the lowest-cost regions for expat medical insurance.
• Age and nationality play a major role: the 50-year-old American profile is the highest-priced group in nearly every market.

✔️ Final note:

IPMI pricing varies dramatically by insurer, coverage level, deductible, and pre-existing conditions. These rankings reflect average premiums, not personalised quotes.

If you’re comparing policies, it’s always smart to speak with an experienced expat insurance adviser who can help match your needs to the right insurer and avoid common pitfalls.