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Unmet needs for medical care in the EU

Topic: Population and health

In Greece, 11.5% of people aged 16 or over went without medical care they needed because of the cost, the distance or a waiting list, against 0.1% in Cyprus and Malta.

In 2025, 2.4% of people aged 16 or over in the EU said that in the twelve months before the survey they had needed a medical examination or treatment but had not had it, or had not sought it, because it was too expensive, too far to travel or there was a waiting list. The share is of all people aged 16 or over, whether or not they needed medical care. Unmet needs for dental care are not included.

Figures for:
2025.
Covers:
differs by country.
New data:
once a year.
Dataset updated:
20 October 2026.

Published 4 November 2026, updated 6 November 2026

27 / 27 EU countries ranked

The ranking

In 2025, the share of people aged 16 or over who went without a medical examination or treatment they needed because of the cost, the distance or a waiting list ranged from 0.1% in Cyprus and Malta to 11.5% in Greece.

Share of people aged 16 or over who went without a medical examination or treatment they needed because of the cost, the distance or a waiting list, %

2025
0.02.55.07.510.012.5%
EU, 2.4 %
Rank 1: Greece, 11.5 %
Rank 2: Finland, 7.8 %
Rank 3: Estonia, 7.7 %
Rank 4: Latvia, 7.6 %
Rank 5: France, 3.7 %
Rank 6: Lithuania, 3.3 %
Rank 7: Slovenia, 3.2 %
Rank 8: Denmark, 2.9 %
Rank 8: Poland, 2.9 %
Rank 8: Romania, 2.9 %
Rank 11: Ireland, 2.7 %
Rank 12: Italy, 2.5 %
Rank 12: Portugal, 2.5 %
Rank 14: Sweden, 2.1 %
Rank 15: Spain, 1.6 %
Rank 16: Croatia, 1.4 %
Rank 16: Hungary, 1.4 %
Rank 18: Luxembourg, 1.1 %
Rank 18: Slovakia, 1.1 %
Rank 20: Bulgaria, 1.0 %
Rank 20: Germany, 1.0 %
Rank 22: Austria, 0.9 %
Rank 22: Belgium, 0.9 %
Rank 24: Netherlands, 0.5 %
Rank 25: Czechia, 0.3 %
Rank 26: Cyprus, 0.1 %
Rank 26: Malta, 0.1 %
How to read: bars start at zero. Every country with a value is shown, ranked from highest to lowest.Source: Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

Women and men

Among men, the spread across countries was narrower. Cyprus and Malta were again the lowest, at 0.1%, and Greece was again the highest, at 9.9%. The highest and the lowest were 9.8 percentage points apart.

Among women, the spread across countries was wider than among men. Greece was again the highest, at 13.1%, and Malta the lowest, at 0.0%. The gap was 13.1 percentage points.

Share of people aged 16 or over who went without a medical examination or treatment they needed because of the cost, the distance or a waiting list: men and women, %

2025
MenWomenWomen − menDifference
0510pp
EU, Men: 2.0 %, Women: 2.8 %, Women − men: +0.8
Rank 1: Greece, Men: 9.9 %, Women: 13.1 %, Women − men: +3.2
Rank 2: Estonia, Men: 6.0 %, Women: 9.1 %, Women − men: +3.1
Rank 3: Finland, Men: 6.7 %, Women: 8.9 %, Women − men: +2.2
Rank 3: Latvia, Men: 5.9 %, Women: 8.9 %, Women − men: +3.0
Rank 5: France, Men: 2.9 %, Women: 4.4 %, Women − men: +1.5
Rank 6: Lithuania, Men: 2.8 %, Women: 3.8 %, Women − men: +1.0
Rank 7: Ireland, Men: 1.8 %, Women: 3.6 %, Women − men: +1.8
Rank 8: Romania, Men: 2.3 %, Women: 3.5 %, Women − men: +1.2
Rank 8: Slovenia, Men: 2.8 %, Women: 3.5 %, Women − men: +0.7
Rank 10: Poland, Men: 2.5 %, Women: 3.3 %, Women − men: +0.8
Rank 11: Portugal, Men: 1.8 %, Women: 3.1 %, Women − men: +1.3
Rank 12: Denmark, Men: 2.8 %, Women: 3.0 %, Women − men: +0.2
Rank 13: Italy, Men: 2.0 %, Women: 2.9 %, Women − men: +0.9
Rank 14: Sweden, Men: 1.9 %, Women: 2.3 %, Women − men: +0.4
Rank 15: Spain, Men: 1.4 %, Women: 1.8 %, Women − men: +0.4
Rank 16: Croatia, Men: 1.0 %, Women: 1.7 %, Women − men: +0.7
Rank 16: Hungary, Men: 1.1 %, Women: 1.7 %, Women − men: +0.6
Rank 18: Austria, Men: 0.7 %, Women: 1.2 %, Women − men: +0.5
Rank 18: Bulgaria, Men: 0.8 %, Women: 1.2 %, Women − men: +0.4
Rank 20: Slovakia, Men: 1.1 %, Women: 1.1 %, Women − men: 0.0
Rank 21: Germany, Men: 1.0 %, Women: 1.0 %, Women − men: 0.0
Rank 21: Luxembourg, Women: 1.0 %, Men: 1.2 %, Women − men: −0.2
Rank 23: Netherlands, Men: 0.2 %, Women: 0.9 %, Women − men: +0.7
Rank 24: Belgium, Women: 0.8 %, Men: 1.0 %, Women − men: −0.2
Rank 25: Czechia, Men: 0.2 %, Women: 0.4 %, Women − men: +0.2
Rank 26: Cyprus, Men: 0.1 %, Women: 0.1 %, Women − men: 0.0
Rank 27: Malta, Women: 0.0 %, Men: 0.1 %, Women − men: −0.1
How to read: the filled dot is women, the outlined dot men, each with its value beside it. The column on the right is their difference, women − men. Countries are ranked by women.Source: Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·
EveryoneMenWomen
Lowest0.1%Cyprus and Malta0.1%Cyprus and Malta0.0%Malta
Highest11.5%Greece9.9%Greece13.1%Greece
Highest − lowest11.4 pp9.8 pp13.1 pp

Everyone

Lowest: 0.1% (Cyprus and Malta)Highest: 11.5% (Greece)Highest − lowest: 11.4 pp

Men

Lowest: 0.1% (Cyprus and Malta)Highest: 9.9% (Greece)Highest − lowest: 9.8 pp

Women

Lowest: 0.0% (Malta)Highest: 13.1% (Greece)Highest − lowest: 13.1 pp

Cost, waiting list or distance

In 2025, 1.0% of people aged 16 or over in the EU went without medical care they needed mainly because it was too expensive, and 1.2% mainly because of a waiting list.

Share of people aged 16 or over who went without medical care they needed, by main reason, %

2025
EU, too expensive: 1.0 %,waiting list: 1.2 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 1: Greece, too expensive: 8.8 %,waiting list: 2.0 %,too far to travel: 0.7 %,
Rank 2: Latvia, too expensive: 2.5 %,waiting list: 4.8 %,too far to travel: 0.4 %,
Rank 3: Romania, too expensive: 2.0 %,waiting list: 0.6 %,too far to travel: 0.3 %,
Rank 4: France, too expensive: 1.9 %,waiting list: 1.4 %,too far to travel: 0.4 %,
Rank 5: Italy, too expensive: 1.6 %,waiting list: 0.9 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 6: Portugal, too expensive: 1.0 %,waiting list: 1.5 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 7: Belgium, too expensive: 0.8 %,waiting list: 0.1 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 8: Bulgaria, too expensive: 0.7 %,waiting list: 0.0 %,too far to travel: 0.2 %,
Rank 9: Ireland, too expensive: 0.6 %,waiting list: 2.1 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 10: Estonia, too expensive: 0.5 %,waiting list: 6.9 %,too far to travel: 0.3 %,
Rank 10: Poland, too expensive: 0.5 %,waiting list: 2.2 %,too far to travel: 0.2 %,
Rank 12: Denmark, too expensive: 0.4 %,waiting list: 2.3 %,too far to travel: 0.2 %,
Rank 12: Finland, too expensive: 0.4 %,waiting list: 7.3 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 14: Austria, too expensive: 0.3 %,waiting list: 0.6 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 14: Hungary, too expensive: 0.3 %,waiting list: 1.1 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 14: Luxembourg, too expensive: 0.3 %,waiting list: 0.9 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 14: Netherlands, too expensive: 0.3 %,waiting list: 0.2 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 14: Sweden, too expensive: 0.3 %,waiting list: 1.7 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 19: Germany, too expensive: 0.2 %,waiting list: 0.8 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 19: Spain, too expensive: 0.2 %,waiting list: 1.5 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 19: Croatia, too expensive: 0.2 %,waiting list: 0.5 %,too far to travel: 0.7 %,
Rank 19: Lithuania, too expensive: 0.2 %,waiting list: 2.9 %,too far to travel: 0.2 %,
Rank 19: Slovenia, too expensive: 0.2 %,waiting list: 3.0 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 24: Cyprus, too expensive: 0.1 %,waiting list: 0.0 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
Rank 24: Slovakia, too expensive: 0.1 %,waiting list: 1.0 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 26: Czechia, too expensive: 0.0 %,waiting list: 0.2 %,too far to travel: 0.1 %,
Rank 26: Malta, too expensive: 0.0 %,waiting list: 0.1 %,too far to travel: 0.0 %,
How to read: one row per country, one dot per group on an axis from zero, and a line from the lowest to the highest. Each value is in the columns on the right. Countries are ranked by the “too expensive” column.Source: Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

Lowest and highest incomes

In 2025, 3.7% of people in the lowest income fifth in the EU went without medical care they needed, against 1.4% of people in the highest income fifth.

Share of people aged 16 or over who went without medical care they needed, by income fifth, %

2025
EU, lowest income fifth: 3.7 %,middle fifth: 2.2 %,highest income fifth: 1.4 %,
Rank 1: Greece, lowest income fifth: 18.9 %,middle fifth: 11.0 %,highest income fifth: 4.9 %,
Rank 2: Latvia, lowest income fifth: 13.5 %,middle fifth: 5.3 %,highest income fifth: 3.3 %,
Rank 3: Finland, lowest income fifth: 10.7 %,middle fifth: 7.5 %,highest income fifth: 4.6 %,
Rank 4: Estonia, lowest income fifth: 8.3 %,middle fifth: 8.4 %,highest income fifth: 7.2 %,
Rank 5: Romania, lowest income fifth: 6.0 %,middle fifth: 2.2 %,highest income fifth: 0.9 %,
Rank 6: France, lowest income fifth: 5.8 %,middle fifth: 3.6 %,highest income fifth: 2.1 %,
Rank 7: Lithuania, lowest income fifth: 4.9 %,middle fifth: 3.0 %,highest income fifth: 2.5 %,
Rank 8: Denmark, lowest income fifth: 4.7 %,middle fifth: 2.7 %,highest income fifth: 1.0 %,
Rank 9: Italy, lowest income fifth: 4.4 %,middle fifth: 2.1 %,highest income fifth: 0.8 %,
Rank 10: Portugal, lowest income fifth: 4.2 %,middle fifth: 2.3 %,highest income fifth: 1.0 %,
Rank 11: Poland, lowest income fifth: 3.7 %,middle fifth: 2.3 %,highest income fifth: 2.9 %,
Rank 12: Croatia, lowest income fifth: 3.4 %,middle fifth: 0.9 %,highest income fifth: 0.5 %,
Rank 13: Slovenia, lowest income fifth: 3.3 %,middle fifth: 2.8 %,highest income fifth: 3.2 %,
Rank 14: Sweden, lowest income fifth: 3.0 %,middle fifth: 2.0 %,highest income fifth: 1.6 %,
Rank 15: Ireland, lowest income fifth: 2.9 %,middle fifth: 4.1 %,highest income fifth: 1.4 %,
Rank 16: Belgium, lowest income fifth: 2.5 %,middle fifth: 0.4 %,highest income fifth: 0.0 %,
Rank 17: Bulgaria, lowest income fifth: 2.1 %,middle fifth: 1.0 %,highest income fifth: 0.3 %,
Rank 18: Austria, lowest income fifth: 1.8 %,middle fifth: 0.8 %,highest income fifth: 0.6 %,
Rank 19: Spain, lowest income fifth: 1.6 %,middle fifth: 1.8 %,highest income fifth: 1.3 %,
Rank 20: Germany, lowest income fifth: 1.3 %,middle fifth: 0.9 %,highest income fifth: 0.8 %,
Rank 20: Hungary, lowest income fifth: 1.3 %,middle fifth: 1.1 %,highest income fifth: 1.5 %,
Rank 20: Netherlands, lowest income fifth: 1.3 %,middle fifth: 0.1 %,highest income fifth: 0.3 %,
Rank 23: Luxembourg, lowest income fifth: 1.2 %,middle fifth: 1.4 %,highest income fifth: 1.0 %,
Rank 24: Slovakia, lowest income fifth: 0.8 %,middle fifth: 0.9 %,highest income fifth: 1.4 %,
Rank 25: Czechia, lowest income fifth: 0.6 %,middle fifth: 0.2 %,highest income fifth: 0.2 %,
Rank 26: Cyprus, lowest income fifth: 0.4 %,middle fifth: 0.0 %,highest income fifth: 0.0 %,
Rank 27: Malta, lowest income fifth: 0.3 %,middle fifth: 0.1 %,highest income fifth: 0.0 %,
How to read: one row per country, one dot per group on an axis from zero, and a line from the lowest to the highest. Each value is in the columns on the right. Countries are ranked by the “lowest income fifth” column.Source: Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

Young and old

In 2025, 1.9% of people aged 16 to 44 in the EU went without medical care they needed, against 3.3% of people aged 65 or over.

Share of people who went without medical care they needed, by age, %

2025
all16–4445–6465+
EU, all: 2.4 %,16–44: 1.9 %,45–64: 2.4 %,65+: 3.3 %,
Rank 1: Greece, all: 11.5 %,16–44: 4.5 %,45–64: 6.3 %,65+: 27.8 %,
Rank 2: Finland, all: 7.8 %,16–44: 6.7 %,45–64: 6.6 %,65+: 10.6 %,
Rank 3: Estonia, all: 7.7 %,16–44: 6.4 %,45–64: 9.9 %,65+: 7.1 %,
Rank 4: Latvia, all: 7.6 %,16–44: 4.3 %,45–64: 8.5 %,65+: 11.0 %,
Rank 5: France, all: 3.7 %,16–44: 3.9 %,45–64: 4.0 %,65+: 3.0 %,
Rank 6: Lithuania, all: 3.3 %,16–44: 2.3 %,45–64: 3.7 %,65+: 4.4 %,
Rank 7: Slovenia, all: 3.2 %,16–44: 2.1 %,45–64: 3.2 %,65+: 4.7 %,
Rank 8: Denmark, all: 2.9 %,16–44: 3.7 %,45–64: 2.9 %,65+: 1.5 %,
Rank 8: Poland, all: 2.9 %,16–44: 2.0 %,45–64: 3.3 %,65+: 3.9 %,
Rank 8: Romania, all: 2.9 %,16–44: 1.1 %,45–64: 3.0 %,65+: 5.8 %,
Rank 11: Ireland, all: 2.7 %,16–44: 2.6 %,45–64: 3.3 %,65+: 1.9 %,
Rank 12: Italy, all: 2.5 %,16–44: 1.5 %,45–64: 2.6 %,65+: 3.6 %,
Rank 12: Portugal, all: 2.5 %,16–44: 1.5 %,45–64: 2.9 %,65+: 3.4 %,
Rank 14: Sweden, all: 2.1 %,16–44: 2.3 %,45–64: 2.0 %,65+: 1.7 %,
Rank 15: Spain, all: 1.6 %,16–44: 1.3 %,45–64: 1.8 %,65+: 2.0 %,
Rank 16: Croatia, all: 1.4 %,16–44: 0.2 %,45–64: 1.2 %,65+: 3.4 %,
Rank 16: Hungary, all: 1.4 %,16–44: 1.0 %,45–64: 1.5 %,65+: 2.0 %,
Rank 18: Luxembourg, all: 1.1 %,16–44: 1.3 %,45–64: 1.3 %,65+: 0.5 %,
Rank 18: Slovakia, all: 1.1 %,16–44: 0.6 %,45–64: 1.6 %,65+: 1.2 %,
Rank 20: Bulgaria, all: 1.0 %,16–44: 0.4 %,45–64: 1.1 %,65+: 1.7 %,
Rank 20: Germany, all: 1.0 %,16–44: 1.1 %,45–64: 1.1 %,65+: 0.8 %,
Rank 22: Austria, all: 0.9 %,16–44: 1.2 %,45–64: 0.7 %,65+: 0.8 %,
Rank 22: Belgium, all: 0.9 %,16–44: 0.9 %,45–64: 1.2 %,65+: 0.4 %,
Rank 24: Netherlands, all: 0.5 %,16–44: 1.0 %,45–64: 0.2 %,65+: 0.2 %,
Rank 25: Czechia, all: 0.3 %,16–44: 0.1 %,45–64: 0.4 %,65+: 0.5 %,
Rank 26: Cyprus, all: 0.1 %,16–44: 0.0 %,45–64: 0.1 %,65+: 0.3 %,
Rank 26: Malta, all: 0.1 %,16–44: 0.1 %,45–64: 0.1 %,65+: 0.0 %,
How to read: one row per country, one column per group, each value in its cell. The stronger the colour, the higher the value. Countries are ranked by the “all” column.Source: Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08).Chart: Civitascope (civitascope.eu) · CC BY 4.0 · Download image · Download data ·

About the data

The share of people aged 16 or over who say that in the past 12 months they needed a medical examination or treatment but did not have it, or did not seek it, because it was too expensive, too far to travel or there was a waiting list.

Eurostat: “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.” (source)

EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), a yearly sample survey of households run by the national statistical institutes. Each person aged 16 or over is asked about their own need for care. Sometimes someone else answers for them.

How to read these numbers

How it is measured

The survey covers people aged 16 or over living in private households. People in collective households and institutions, such as care homes, are generally not included (Estonia includes collective households).

The figure rests on each person's own assessment of whether they needed care and went without it. Social norms and expectations can shape these answers. Eurostat advises caution when comparing countries. Health care is also organised differently from one country to another. The survey questions vary somewhat between countries and over time.

The share is of all people aged 16 or over, whether or not they needed medical care. A country where few people needed care can have a low share for that reason alone. Unmet needs for dental care are left out. Eurostat publishes them in a separate dataset.

A person who went without care names one main reason. Someone with several reasons is counted under the main one only. Because of rounding, the three reasons together may differ slightly from the total.

The figures are not adjusted for age. Each country's figure reflects the age structure of its own population.

Each person was asked about the 12 months before their interview.

The income fifths (quintiles) split each country's population into five groups of equal size, ranked by equivalised disposable income. The income is that of the calendar year before the survey.

Provisional figures

A provisional value (flag p) may still be revised. This concerns Lithuania (2025).

Sources and data

Eurostat, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by sex, age, main reason declared and income quintile (hlth_silc_08). Data updated 20 October 2026, retrieved 4 November 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

Eurostat metadata · Eurostat methodology

The exact Eurostat API query

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/hlth_silc_08?format=JSON&lang=en&age=Y_GE16&freq=A&geo=AT&geo=BE&geo=BG&geo=CY&geo=CZ&geo=DE&geo=DK&geo=EE&geo=EL&geo=ES&geo=EU27_2020&geo=FI&geo=FR&geo=HR&geo=HU&geo=IE&geo=IT&geo=LT&geo=LU&geo=LV&geo=MT&geo=NL&geo=PL&geo=PT&geo=RO&geo=SE&geo=SI&geo=SK&quant_inc=TOTAL&reason=TXP_TFAR_WLIST&sex=T&unit=PC

How every number in this story was computed

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