Anyone who talks about the budget cannot ignore health policy. Last year in Austria, the public invested 50.5 billion euros in health care for the population. The trend is rising sharply. The share of health spending in total government spending has increased from twelve to 17.2 percent since 1995. With the pandemic came another jump in spending. According to forecasts by the Fiscal Council, this development will continue in the next few years. The explosion in costs is being driven by rising medical expenses and higher doctor salaries, plus the aging population and therefore demand for more services.
