1.1. Contact organisation
[4D0] European Commission (including Eurostat)
1.2. Contact organisation unit
[4D1_E2] Eurostat - Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
5, rue Alphonse Weicker L-2721 Luxembourg
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
26 May 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
26 May 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
27 March 2026
The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 3 on good health and well-being and SDG 1 on no poverty as a multi-purpose indicator (MPI); which are embedded in the European Commission’s 2024-2029 Priorities under 'Supporting people, strenghtening our societes and our social model'.
SDG 3 aims to ensure health and promote well-being for all at all ages by improving reproductive, maternal and child health; ending the epidemics of major communicable diseases; and reducing non-communicable and mental diseases. SDG 3 also calls for reducing behavioural and environmental health risk factors. SDG 1 calls for the eradication of poverty in all its manifestations. It envisions shared prosperity, a basic standard of living and social protection benefits for people everywhere, including the poorest and most vulnerable.
Indicator is included as a main indicator in the Social Scoreboard for the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Universal health coverage is an objective of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. One of the three priorities of the EU’s health policy is increasing accessibility to healthcare. In addition, one of the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights is that everyone has the right to timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality.
4.1. Data description
This indicator measures the share of the population aged 16 and over reporting unmet needs for medical care due to one of the following reasons: ‘financial reasons’, ‘waiting list’ and ‘too far to travel’. Self-reported unmet needs concern a person’s own assessment of whether they needed medical examination or treatment (dental care excluded) but did not have it or did not seek it.
Since social norms and expectations may affect responses to questions about unmet care needs, caution is required when comparing differences in the reporting of unmet medical examination across countries. In addition, the different organisation of health care services is another factor to consider when analysing the data. Finally, there are also some variations in the survey questions across countries and across time.
The data stem from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC).
4.2. Unit of measure
% of population aged 16 and over
4.3. Reference Period
Calendar year.
4.4. Accuracy - overall
From 2021 Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 foresees the requirements relating to geographical coverage, detailed sample characteristics, including subsampling, in accordance with Annex III, common data gathering periods, common standards for editing and imputation, weighting, estimation and variance estimation.
Before 2021 onwards EU-SILC is based on a common framework defined by harmonised lists of primary and secondary variables, common concepts, a recommended design, common requirements (such as imputation procedures, weighting, sampling errors calculation) and classifications aiming at maximising comparability of the information produced. Details can be found in the metadata of the source datasets.
4.5. Source data
4.5.1. Source data - Organisation
ESS (SILC)
4.5.2. Source data - Comment
Data source: Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (SILC).
Data provider: Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, based on data reported by the countries.
5.1. Frequency of dissemination
5.1.1. Frequency of dissemination - Grade
Every year5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment
Indicator is updated annually. Complete and updated ESS data release information can be accessed via Eurostat release calendar.
5.2. Timeliness
5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade
T+1 year5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment
New data points are disseminated within two years after the reference year.
6.1. Reference area
6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade
All EU MS6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment
Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye.
6.2. Comparability - geographical
6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade
All EU MS6.2.2. Comparability - geographical - Comment
Data are comparable between all EU Member States respectively other presented countries.
6.3. Coverage - Time
6.3.1. Time Coverage - Grade
> 10 years6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment
Presented time series (including EU aggregates) starts in 2008.
6.4. Comparability - over time
6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade
> 4 data points6.4.2. Comparability - over time - Comment
Length of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.
7.1. Dissemination format - Publications
Analysis of indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context).
7.2. Dissemination format - online database
See table sdg_03_60
7.3. Dissemination format - other
Eurostat dedicated section on SDGs: Eurostat overview.
Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright/Licence Policy is applicable.
