This Is How Much Seniors Spend on Health Care Every Year

Many major expenses only shrink once you retire, but health care is hardly one of them.

U.S. households led by someone who is 65 or older spend an average of $6,700 a year on health care, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data on consumer spending, which covers July 2017 to June 2018.

That translates to 13.4% of all spending by senior households and makes health care the third-biggest spending category among those households. Only housing and transportation account for bigger shares of seniors’ spending.

By comparison, all U.S. households spend an average of $4,924 a year on health care, which translates to 8.1% of spending across all households.

Following is a detailed look at how senior households’ medical spending breaks down.