BACKGROUND: This paper analyses the share of the family private health expenditures in the Brazilian GDP and in personal income; and the distribution of the family private health expenditures among social groups. METHODS: The research utilized the 1998 Brazilian Home Sample Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilios) with the division of the population into four social groups according to the family income per capita; and the distribution of the family private health expenditures among health insurance, physicians, other health professionals, medical tests, drugs, orthopedic and other medical durables, vision products, dental services, hospital care, nursing home care and other health spending. RESULTS: In 1998, only 7.2% of the population with family income per capita up to 1 minimum wage had health insurance and the health expenditures of this group, that represented 52.5% of the population, was US$ 4.62 per capita. For the people with 9 and more minimum wages per capita the health insurance coverage was 83.2% and the health expenditures was US$ 114.66 per capita. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the Brazilian public universal health care system in 1988 denominated "Sistema Unico de Saude" was followed by an expressive expansion of private insurance coverage in the 1990's. Even if all public health expenditures had been exclusively directed to the population without any private insurance, these people's health expenditures would only reach 43% of the health expenditures of those with private insurance.