Disparity in Public Perception of Health Budgets: Indonesia Shows the Highest Rate

The disparity between Indonesians' understanding of the percentage of the health budget relative to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the actual figure is the largest globally. An index on the perils of perception, compiled by Ipsos MORI, a market research firm based in the UK and Ireland, reveals that Indonesian citizens assume the health budget constitutes 39 percent of the GDP. In reality, Indonesia's health budget is only three percent of national income. This 36 percent difference between assumption and reality is the largest among all countries surveyed.

Malaysia is the second country with a significantly larger perception of its health budget than the reality, with a 33 percent difference. Most Malaysians believe their health budget is 37 percent of the total GDP. In reality, Malaysia's allocation for healthcare is only four percent.

The perils of perception index measures the difference between public perception and fact across 40 countries. This research found that many people worldwide hold inaccurate perceptions of their social environment. The report concludes that these inaccurate perceptions can have dangerous consequences when influencing public policy.