Gesundheitswirtschaft Österreich: Ein Gesundheitssatellitenkonto für Österreich (ÖGSK) (Update Jahr 2013)

The public view on healthcare is dominated by the perception of the system as a cost driver. This view neglects the fact that a lot of economic activities are initiated by the fundamental need for maintaining or improving one’s health. What is more, many such activities are hidden within the system of economic accounting in industries seemingly unrelated to health, whereby the overall importance of the health sector within the economy is not recognized.

This study aimed to compile all such economic activity into a health satellite account that is compatible with the standard input-output-table. In addition to the classic health-related core areas, like physician practices or hospital services, a broader view on the health industry was adopted following a framework developed in Germany that also involves health-related goods and services in a broader sense, like wellness or health-related books.

This wide-ranging demand for health-related goods and services makes the healthcare industry a sizable part of the economy, even more so when accounting for intermediate consumption structure, export opportunities and workforce effects. The resulting significant economic potential is illustrated by this report.

As input-output-tables are only updated every five years by the Austrian Statistical office, the satellite account is based on the 2013 tables. Applying this year’s demand vector yields the indirect and induced economic effects. While the direct effects of the core and extended health industries amount to 10.85% of value added, and together with indirect and induced effects, to 16.5%. Due to healthcare being dominated by personal services, every seventh employee in Austria works in the health industry according to the definition of the health satellite account.