Health services and expenditure in six EU countries.
Healthcare systems around the world strive to provide quality services to their populations while managing the costs associated with these services. The balance between service availability and health expenditure is a critical aspect of public health policy. Universal health coverage (UHC) is about ensuring that all people have access to the health services they need without financial hardship. It is the key to improving the well-being of a country's population. The Service Coverage Index comprises four indicator categories: reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health; infectious diseases; non-communicable diseases; and service capacity and access. It is presented on a scale from 0 to 100. This article examines health service provision and expenditure in six different EU countries.
Health services in EU countries have shown a relatively stable trend, with a slight increase over the last five years. Among these countries, Germany and Belgium have shown the highest rates of improvement over this period, while Greece has shown the lowest rate of progress or potentially the lowest overall rate among EU countries.
EU countries | UHC service coverage index
Germany has had the highest score in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index for the past four years, from 2015 to 2021, and has maintained a stable and high Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index of 88 out of 100.
Germany | UHC service coverage index
The Universal Health Coverage Index (UHC) in Greece was one of the lowest among other countries, averaging between 75 and 79 from 2010 to 2019. However, at the beginning of 2020, the index started to decline significantly, which can be attributed to the impact of COVID-19 on health systems and services.
Greece | UHC service coverage index
Health Expenditure
Current health expenditure per capita refers to the amount spent on health services per person in current US dollars. It includes the cost of health goods and services consumed annually. Health financing plays a crucial role in achieving universal health coverage (UHC), which aims to ensure that everyone has access to the quality health services they need without suffering financial hardship.
Over the last decade, from 2011 to 2020, countries such as France, Germany and Belgium have consistently had the highest levels of health spending. In contrast, countries such as Spain and Italy have maintained relatively average levels of spending over this period. It is worth noting that while the provision of health services is expected to match the level of spending, Italy and Spain have a high Universal Health Coverage Index (UHC) score of 86 out of 100, but their spending is on average lower than that of other countries.
EU Countries | Current health expenditure per capita (current US$)
Over the past ten years, Greece has had the lowest health expenditure rates, which is expected due to its lower Universal Health Coverage (UHC) rate.
Greece | Current health expenditure per capita (current US$)
