Population dynamics, health expenditure growth and the workforce

Paul Scuffham; A. Wilson AO

doi:10.1071/AH25172

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Population dynamics, health expenditure growth and the workforce

Paul Scuffham

^A ^* and A. Wilson AO ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Centre for Applied Health Economics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Qld, Australia.

^B Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: p.scuffham@griffith.edu.au

Australian Health Review 49, AH25172 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH25172

Submitted: 13 August 2025 Accepted: 14 August 2025 Published: 8 September 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

This perspective serves as a primer and overview of the underlying causes of the current stress on the healthcare system, indicating no expected relief in the medium term. Demographic trends – such as ageing and growth of the population, declining birth rates, rising healthcare expenditure, and increasing workforce shortages – are presented as the context for the urgent need for greater efficiency and transformative change within the health system. Potential solutions are discussed in response to the impending crisis.

Keywords: ageing, demographics, digital health, fertility rates, healthcare expenditure, healthcare services, healthcare workforce, health systems, innovation, prevention, self-care.

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