European Healthcare Expenditure on Hospitals by Household Out-of-Pocket Payment by Country

The 2023 data indicates Belgium has the highest out-of-pocket hospital expenditure at €269.06 per capita, followed by Switzerland and Greece. Eastern European countries such as Romania and Slovenia saw significant changes with 6.23% and -14.23% year-on-year variations, respectively. Malta experienced notable growth at 17.29%. Germany presented a decline in such expenditures by 1.97%, while Poland displayed a positive trajectory with a 9.47% increase. Over the last five years, most variations indicate low to moderate growth with some exceptions.

Future trends could include policy changes toward cost containment, increasing public healthcare funding, and digital health interventions aimed at reducing direct expenses for households, which may reduce out-of-pocket payments in some regions. Additionally, countries may face differing pressures based on aging populations and economic variables such as inflation impacting healthcare affordability.