A healthcare professional measuring blood pressure.

In 2022, an average of €3 685 per inhabitant was spent on current healthcare expenditure in the EU, an increase of 38.6% compared with 2014 (€2 658).

The highest average expenditure was reported in Luxembourg (€6 590 per inhabitant), ahead of Denmark (€6 110) and Ireland (€5 998).

At the other end of the range, the lowest expenditures were recorded in Romania (€858), Bulgaria (€990) and Poland (€1 137). 

The healthcare expenditure increased in all EU countries since the start of this time series in 2014. Latvia, Lithuania and Romania recorded the highest relative increases - 140.5%, 125.6% and 123.1% respectively - compared with 2014.

Current healthcare expenditure per inhabitant, 2014 and 2022, €. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: hlth_sha11_hf

This information comes from data on healthcare expenditure published by Eurostat today. This article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on healthcare expenditure.

In 2022, in the EU, the ratio of current healthcare expenditure to GDP stood at 10.4%. The highest relative expenditures were recorded in Germany (12.6% of GDP), France (11.9%) and Austria (11.2%). In contrast, healthcare spending in Luxembourg was 5.6% of GDP, in Romania 5.8% and in Ireland 6.1%.

Current healthcare expenditure relative to GDP, 2014 and 2022, %. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: hlth_sha11_hf

Only 6 EU countries reported a lower ratio of healthcare expenditure to GDP in 2022 compared with 2014. The largest declines were reported in Ireland (a decrease of 3.4 percentage points (pp)), Denmark (-0.8 pp) and the Netherlands (-0.5 pp).

For more information

Methodological notes

  • Current healthcare expenditure quantifies the economic resources dedicated to health functions, excluding capital investment. It is primarily concerned with healthcare goods and services that are consumed by residents, irrespective of where that consumption takes place (it may be in the rest of the world) or who is paying for it. As such, exports of healthcare goods and services (to non-residents) are excluded, whereas imports of healthcare goods and services for final consumption are included.
  • Infra-annual comparisons refer to 2014 because this is the first reference year for which data for all EU countries were compiled according to System of health accounts (SHA) 2011 methodology.

If you have any queries, please visit our contact us page.