EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list)
Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki had the highest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) of 136 regions in 2021, at 8.9%. Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 1.5% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 2%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.
Top 40 regions, 2021
Full ranking
Other periods
About this ranking
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.
Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the regions are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.
How to cite
Eurostat. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r) (EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table
MLA 9
Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r), EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021. Eurostat, European Commission, 8 July 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r). EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021.
Harvard
Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r), EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_regions_nuts_2_2021,
author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
title = {{Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth\_silc\_08\_r): EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth\_silc\_08\_r). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth\_silc\_08\_r/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - Eurostat, European Commission
TI - Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r): EU regions (NUTS 2) by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list), 2021
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/08
PB - Eurostat, European Commission
DB - Invokely
UR - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unmet-need-for-medical-care/eu-regions?period=2021.
N1 - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/hlth_silc_08_r/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
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:
Rank EU regions by unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"unmet_medical_need_share","level":"region","within":"European Union (27)","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=unmet_medical_need_share&level=region&within=European%20Union%20(27)&limit=10Questions
Which region has the highest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list)?
Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki, with 8.9% in 2021, according to Eurostat, European Commission.
Which region has the lowest unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list)?
Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen, with 0% in 2021.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, too expensive, too far to travel or waiting list (hlth_silc_08_r). Retrieved 2026-10-12.