Charted: The Average Cost of Insulin By Country
Drug prices in the U.S. are notoriously high for many important medications, including insulin. When comparing the cost of insulin by country, we see that the difference is not even close.
This chart shows the average cost of insulin across OECD countries, based on a 2021 publication by RAND Corporation.
Comparing the Cost of Insulin By Country
The study analyzed the average price per vial of all types of insulin from 2018 across numerous countries.
The findings? The U.S. had the highest price per vial of insulin at $99.
Here are the prices per vial across 32 countries:Search:
| Rank | Country | Average Insulin Price (2018, USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  U.S. | $99 |
| 2 |  Chile | $21 |
| 3 |  Mexico | $16 |
| 4 |  Japan | $14 |
| 5 |  Switzerland | $12 |
| 6 |  Canada | $12 |
| 7 |  Germany | $11 |
| 8 |  Korea | $10 |
| 9 |  Luxembourg | $10 |
| 10 |  Italy | $10 |
Showing 1 to 10 of 32 entries
Chile and Mexico had the second and third-highest insulin prices in the OECD, at $21 per vial and $16 per vial respectively.
The majority of countries had insulin prices hovering between $8 to $10 per vial, one-tenth the cost of the life-saving medication in the United States. The lowest, Türkiye at $3 per vial of insulin, was 33 times more affordable.
The Human Cost of Diabetes
According to a 2020 report from the World Health Organization, diabetes is a top 10 cause of death globally. Additionally, deaths attributed to diabetes have climbed 70% since 2000.
In early 2023, major pharmaceutical companies announced that they would implement price limits on insulin medication in the U.S.
However, whether or not those cost reductions are all going to consumers remains up in the air, due to the complex American health insurance market.
