Lowest health care expenditure, but Spain is the healthiest in the EU, are you thinking about emigrating?

According to the European Commission's 'State of Health in the EU' report, Spain is at the bottom of the list of the 30 countries that have been surveyed in terms of health care spending. In contrast, Spain is the country with the healthiest inhabitants and life expectancy is the highest of all EU countries.

The Spanish government spends 8.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP or in Spanish PIB) annually on health care, a percentage comparable to the Czech Republic and Slovenia. However, the EU average is 9.8% with an average expenditure per EU citizen of EUR 2,884 while in Spain this is EUR 2,371. Despite the fact that Spain, with nearly 46.6 million inhabitants and a percentage of people aged over 65, spends the least on health care, they are the healthiest of all EU countries and live an average of 83.4 years, which is the highest of all EU countries (2.5 years above the EU average).

Efficient

One can therefore speak of an efficient health system in Spain, partly thanks to the prevention policy that works on risk factors and good first-line care that prevents people from being hospitalized, according to the EU report on Spain (PDF). Despite the high life expectancy, people in Spain still speak of many chronic diseases among people over 65, more restrictions on daily activities and more symptoms of loneliness, often resulting in depression.

Causes of death

The main causes of death in Spain are heart attacks (infartos), strokes (ictus), lung cancer (cáncer de pulmón), cardiovascular diseases (enfermedades cardiovasculares) and Alzheimer (alzhéimer) that is due to the aging of the population (envejecimiento de la población) increased.

More than a third of deaths in Spain can be attributed to only a few risk factors: smoking (67,000 deaths per year), inadequate diet (52,000 deaths), alcohol (32,000 deaths) and poor physical activity (9,500 deaths).

Comparison of the Netherlands

According to the report on the Netherlands (PDF) there are more than 17.1 million inhabitants and 18.5% are older than 65 years. In the Netherlands, life expectancy is 81.8 years and the government spends 10.1% of GDP annually on health care, which is more than the EU average of 9.8% but less than Norway, Germany, Austria and Sweden (the Netherlands is the lost position). In the Netherlands, 3,791 euros are spent per person.

Comparison Belgium

According to the report on Belgium (PDF) there are more than 11.3 million inhabitants and 18.5% are older than 65 years. In Belgium, life expectancy is 81.6 years and the government spends 10% of GDP annually on health care, which is more than the EU average of 9.8% but less than Norway, Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denemarrken, France and Luxembourg. In Belgium, you spend 3,554 euros per person.

Health profiles per EU country

Experts from the OECD and the Observatory have established a national health profile for 30 countries, all EU countries plus Iceland and Norway. These country profiles of State of Health in the EU serve as a central source of information and knowledge about the health system of a country, in the form of a mutual comparison.

The health profiles per country provide a comprehensive overview of the latest health policy challenges in each country and their responses. Each country profile provides a brief summary of the health status, health determinants (with emphasis on behavioral risk factors) for the country concerned, the organization of the health system and an analysis of the effectiveness, accessibility and resilience of each health system.

acknowledgment: Spanjevandaag.com