WASHINGTON—U.S. health spending grew faster than expected in 2015 as consumers recovered from the economic downturn and the Affordable Care Act's coverage provisions took hold, according to federal statistics released Friday.

National health expenditures grew at a rate of 5.8% over the year, more than the 5.5% estimated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in future spending projections offered this summer.

The trajectory of health spending is closely watched because of its significance in the U.S. economy. Health spending accounted for 17.8 % of the nation's gross domestic product in 2015, the CMS data said, up from 17.4% in 2014. The findings were published in the journal Health Affairs.

Write to Louise Radnofsky at louise.radnofsky@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 02, 2016 14:25 ET (19:25 GMT)