Eurofound Report Says 25% Lack Access to Healthcare in 2024
Eurofound survey on healthcare in the EU revealed over 25% of citizens lacked access to necessary health services at least once in 2024, marking a substantial rise in comparison to previous reports. The concerning data also showed a drop in the index of psychological well-being.
In 2022, an average of 18% of Europeans reported inadequate access to healthcare services, while the corresponding rate in Greece stood at 16%. Interestingly, the Eurofound findings showed a discrepancy with data from Eurostat and the OECD, raising concerns about the survey methodology.
Based on the most recent Eurostat findings of 2023, 13.1% of Greeks over the age of 16 reported having unmet needs for medical examination or treatment at some point, a percentage three times higher than the average EU (3.8%), showing a significant difference with the Eurofound data.
Greece ranks second worst in the EU after Estonia. Among individuals over the age of 16, 11.6% reported that the main reasons they were unable to access medical services were high costs and long waiting lists, while distance was also a factor for some. Another 2.6% cited other reasons.
According to the OECD, nearly one in four (23%) of those in Greece’s poorest income quintile reported that they at some point needed medical care but were unable to receive it, primarily due to cost. In contrast, the corresponding rate for the wealthiest 20% was just 3.4%.
Eurofound has yet to publish the full report with detailed data for each country regarding healthcare.