How Much Are Women In The UK Investing in Their Health?

Women across the UK have a range of health and wellness spending options, and while the NHS accounts for the majority of their basic needs, the market for products and services outside its remit is sizeable.

The question, then, is what our typical out-of-pocket health costs tend to be, and what this tells us about how we choose to invest in our bodies and minds.

What’s the Average Health Budget?

First of all, it’s worth acknowledging that women are at a slight disadvantage in health spending, compared with men. A Deloitte study found that UK women pay £1.5 billion more each year on healthcare, with costs sunk into things like fertility and menopause diagnosis and treatment.  In total, that’s around 50% more spending for each person to work into their budget.

There’s also increased spending associated with treatment for substance use among women, with more people seeking effective detoxing from ketamine and other popular yet problematic drugs via reputable clinics. Women account for around 31% of all drug misuse treatment patients, and this proportion is rising annually.

Discretionary spending on health, wellness, and beauty beyond necessary treatments creates even more costs for the average British woman. Estimates vary by source, though one report pegged it at £554 per month for Millennial and Gen Z women.

More interesting still is an L&G study showing that women actually spend less than men on wellness, with monthly outgoings for this type of activity alone at £29.01 and £41.30, respectively. The same report found that 35% of men cited health and wellness as a priority, while just 26% of women agreed.

What’s Going On?

On the surface, these figures sound confusing. Women must pay more for the health services they need, yet see wellness as a lower priority than men do, who also put more of their disposable income toward the associated products and activities.

The reality is that this reflects an ongoing societal imbalance between the genders that has taken decades to reach this comparatively progressive point, but which still needs further adjustment to reach a state of equilibrium and equality. Also, the pressure on women to look good means more of their money goes toward cosmetics, leaving them with less cash to invest in things like a gym membership or regular fitness classes.

So, the question is not how much women in the UK are investing in their health, but how much they would or should be spending on keeping their bodies and minds in tip-top condition, compared with how much they can actually justify dedicating to this. Needing to save to pay for sanitary products, fertility treatments, menopause support and so forth leaves women across the age spectrum in a financial bind.

Hopefully, growing awareness of this scenario will result in greater efforts to make necessary healthcare accessible and affordable for British women, while also changing social perspectives to enable the right type of investment in health. It won’t happen overnight, but we’re moving in the right direction.