Share of people with good or very good perceived health by sex (sdg_03_20)

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

e-mail contact : ESTAT-SDG-MONITORING@ec.europa.eu. 

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

24 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 which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under the 'Supporting people, strenghtening our societes and our social model'.

SDG 3 aims to ensure health and well-being for all at all ages by improving reproductive, maternal and child health; ending the epidemics of major communicable diseases; reducing non-communicable and mental diseases. SDG 3 also calls for reducing behavioural (drugs and alcohol abuse, tobacco) as well as environmental health risk factors (traffic accidents, chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination). Main prerequisite for meeting these objectives are universal health coverage; access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and to safe, affordable and effective medicines and vaccines for all.

4.1. Data description

The indicator is a subjective measure on how people judge their health in general on a scale from "very good" to "very bad". It is expressed as the share of the population aged 16 or over perceiving itself to be in "good" or "very good" health.

Indicators of perceived general health have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use and mortality. The data stem from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU SILC).

4.2. Unit of measure

% of population aged 16 or 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 (see link to Health variables of EU-SILC (europa.eu)).

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 year

5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment

Indicator is updated annually in April. Complete and updated ESS data release information can be accessed via Eurostat release calendar.

5.2. Timeliness

5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade

T+1 year

5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment

New data points are disseminated within one year after the reference year.

6.1. Reference area

6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade

All EU MS

6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment

Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Norway, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye.

6.2. Comparability - geographical

6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade

All EU MS

6.2.2. 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 years

6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment

Presented time series (including EU aggregates) starts in 2005.

6.4. Comparability - over time

6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade

> 4 data points

6.4.2. 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_20

7.3. Dissemination format - other

Eurostat dedicated section on SDGs: Eurostat overview.

Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright/Licence Policy is applicable.

Health variables of EU-SILC - hlth_silc_01_esms