According to a Eurostat report titled “Unmet needs for medical examinations in 2022,” Greece takes the unenviable top spot among EU member states concerning unmet healthcare needs for citizens due to conditions of poverty, waiting lists, or the absence of health structures near their place of residence.
As the data showed, a staggering 16.7% of Greek citizens reported being unable to undergo medical examinations, while 28% stated they lived in poverty. The EU average for unmet medical examinations stands significantly lower at 3.3%.
Following Greece, the EU countries with the highest percentages are Finland (9.6%), Romania (7.9%), and Latvia (7.1%).
On the other end of the spectrum are Germany (0.5%), the Czech Republic (0.3%), and Cyprus (0.1%), which boast the lowest percentages.
The percentage of individuals indicating they are at risk of poverty in the EU and reporting unmet needs is 6.1%, nearly double that of those not at risk of poverty (2.8%).
In Greece, this category is much larger, with a rate of 28.5%, contrasting with the 14.3% not facing financial challenges. Significant disparities were also observed in Romania (15.5%) and Portugal, with 11.7%.
As highlighted in the report, medical care refers to individual healthcare services (medical examination or treatment excluding dental care) provided by or under the direct supervision of doctors or equivalent professionals according to national healthcare systems.
