evidence: Preliminary estimates for 2020 for a number of OECD countries all point to a significant increase in the ratio of health spending to GDP. This reflects both the extra health spending needed to combat COVID-19 and reductions in GDP caused by restrictions on economic activity. Based on the initial data, the average share of GDP allocated to health is estimated to have jumped from 8.8% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2020. Those countries most severely affected by the pandemic reported unprecedented increases in the share of GDP allocated to health. The United Kingdom estimated an increase from 10.2% in 2019 to 12.8% in 2020, while Slovenia anticipated its share of spending on health rising from 8.5% to more than 10%. [...] The trends in health spending and GDP over this period have translated into a distinct pattern, with significant jumps in the ratio in 2009 and 2020, and a period of stability in between (Figure 7.3). Focusing on a few countries, Italy and the United Kingdom closely followed this trend, with the latter showing an even more pronounced jump in 2020. Germany and Portugal experienced a smoother transition, with health spending in Portugal estimated to be only 0.4 percentage points higher than in 2005. Despite the shocks, health spending in Korea has shown a steady increase year on year, rising from 4.8% to 8.4% over the 15-year period.