# Unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list)

Share of people aged 16 and over who say that in the previous 12 months they needed a medical examination or treatment and did not get it because it was too expensive, too far to travel or the waiting list was too long (EU statistics on income and living conditions, EU-SILC).

## Key facts

- Unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in the European Union (27) was 2.4% in 2025, according to Eurostat, European Commission.
- Greece had the highest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) of 27 EU countries in 2025, at 11.5%, and Malta the lowest, at 0.1%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.
- Published for 164 places, with figures from 2008 to 2025.
- Figures last updated on 2026-10-12.

- Indicator id: `unmet_medical_need_share`
- Unit: %
- Note: Self-reported, and measured over everyone aged 16 and over, not only those who needed care. Dental care is asked separately and is not included. The reference year is the survey year.
- Web page: https://invokely.ai/en/unmet-need-for-medical-care
- API: https://invokely.ai/api/v1/indicators/unmet_medical_need_share

## Latest figures

| Place | Period | % | Source |
|---|---|---:|---|
| European Union (27) | 2025 | 2.4 | Eurostat. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list, aged 16 and over (hlth_silc_08). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12. |

## Rankings

- [EU countries](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-countries.md) (27 places)
- [EU regions (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions.md) (136 places)
- [Autonomous communities of Spain](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/spain-regions.md) (19 places)
- [Regions of Italy (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/italy-regions.md) (21 places)
- [Regions of Poland (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/poland-regions.md) (17 places)
- [Regions of Greece (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/greece-regions.md) (13 places)
- [Regions of Czechia (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/czechia-regions.md) (8 places)
- [Regions of Hungary (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/hungary-regions.md) (8 places)
- [Regions of Romania (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/romania-regions.md) (8 places)
- [Regions of Sweden (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/sweden-regions.md) (8 places)
- [Regions of Bulgaria (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/bulgaria-regions.md) (6 places)
- [Regions of Denmark (NUTS 2)](https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/denmark-regions.md) (5 places)