Seven out of ten people aged 16 or over living in the European Union (EU) rated their health status as good or very good in 2017 (70%). In contrast, fewer than one in ten (8%) assessed their level of health as bad or very bad in the same year.
The classification includes five levels of self-perceived health status: very good, good, fair, bad and very bad.
The source data set is accessible here.
Among the EU Member States, the highest share of the population aged 16 or over who perceived their health as good or very good was recorded in Ireland (83%), ahead of Cyprus (78%), Italy and Sweden (both 77%), the Netherlands (76%) and Malta (75%).
At the bottom end of the scale, the lowest share was reported in Lithuania and Latvia (both 44%), Portugal (49%), Estonia (53%), Poland and Hungary (both 59%).
Self-perceived gender health gap
In the EU, more men than women perceived that they were in good health. In the EU, 72% of men aged 16 or over rated their health as very good or good in 2017, compared to 67% of women. The disparity in rating between men and women can be seen throughout the various age groups. The largest gap is for those aged 65 years or over where 45% of men perceived their health status as good or very good compared to 39% of women.
The percentage of the population who assessed their health as good or very good tends to decrease with age. More than 88% of the male population aged from 16 to 44 perceived their health as good or very good. The proportion decreased to 69% for men aged 45 to 64 and decreased further to 45% for those men older than 65 years.
A similar trend can be seen with women. The share of women aged from 16 to 44 who perceived their health as good or very good was 87%, compared to 65% for those aged 46 to 64 and 39% for those aged 65 years or over.
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