Unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in European Union (27)
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. That is down 0.1 pts from 2024.
Unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in European Union (27), 2010 to 2025
All 16 values
| Period | % |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.4 |
| 2024 | 2.5 |
| 2023 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 2.2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1.9 |
| 2019 | 1.7 |
| 2018 | 1.8 |
| 2017 | 1.6 |
| 2016 | 2.8 |
| 2015 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 3.9 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2012 | 3.8 |
| 2011 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 3.5 |
Rankings
Definition
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).
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.
How to cite
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.Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
What is the latest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in European Union (27)? Cite the source.
get_value {"indicator":"unmet_medical_need_share","place":"eu27"}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/value?indicator=unmet_medical_need_share&place=eu27Questions
What is the unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in European Union (27)?
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. That is down 0.1 pts from 2024.
Where does this figure come from?
Eurostat, European Commission. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list, aged 16 and over (hlth_silc_08). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.
What was the highest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) in European Union (27)?
4% in 2013, the highest value since 2010 in this series.