Guide hub
Country profiles: Europe — thirty health systems
Thirty European health systems, compared in the same plain-language template.
Published 7 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Direct answer: Thirty European health systems, each explained in the same plain language: the model, who pays, who delivers care, what is free at the point of use, and the key figures. No country is ranked as best. The other twenty-six profiles are in the companion hub for the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and the full table is on the Countries page.
Chapter 1
Country profiles: Europe — thirty health systems
Thirty profiles, one template each: the model, who pays, who delivers, what is free, and the key figures.
The figures behind the profiles
Life expectancy is for 2023 and health spending for 2024, from the OECD Health at a Glance 2025 country dashboards — except for Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, whose figures are for 2023 from WHO Global Health Estimates and the World Bank (WHO Global Health Expenditure Database), and for Türkiye, whose life expectancy is for 2022, the latest year for Türkiye in the OECD table. See the country index for the full table of all fifty-six profiles.
Directory
All guides and tools in this hub
Every guide and tool in this hub, in one filterable list.
Health system: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom's health system, in plain language: how the NHS in England is funded, who delivers care, what is free, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Germany
Germany's health system, in plain language: how the sickness funds work, who pays, what is covered, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: France
France's health system, in plain language: how statutory health insurance works, what co-payments mean, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Netherlands
The Netherlands' health system, in plain language: how mandatory private insurance with managed competition works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Sweden
Sweden's health system, in plain language: how tax-funded care run by 21 regions works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Switzerland
Switzerland's health system, in plain language: how mandatory private insurance under the KVG works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Spain
Spain's health system, in plain language: how the National Health System (SNS) works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Norway
Norway's health system, in plain language: how tax-funded care under the National Insurance Scheme works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Denmark
Denmark's health system, in plain language: how tax-funded care run by five regions works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Italy
Italy's health system, in plain language: how the National Health Service (SSN) works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Türkiye
Türkiye's health system, in plain language: how universal General Health Insurance works, what patients pay, and the key figures behind it.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Austria
Austria's health system, in plain language: how social health insurance works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Belgium
Belgium's health system, in plain language: how compulsory social health insurance and the sickness funds work, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Czechia
Czechia's health system, in plain language: how mandatory social health insurance works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Estonia
Estonia's health system, in plain language: how the single Health Insurance Fund works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Finland
Finland's health system, in plain language: how the 2023 counties reform works, what patients pay in client fees, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Greece
Greece's health system, in plain language: how the National Health System and EOPYY work, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Hungary
Hungary's health system, in plain language: how the single health insurance fund works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Iceland
Iceland's health system, in plain language: how the tax-funded universal system and Icelandic Health Insurance work, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Ireland
Ireland's health system, in plain language: how the HSE and Sláintecare work, who gets free GP care, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Latvia
Latvia's health system, in plain language: how the National Health Service works as a single purchaser, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Lithuania
Lithuania's health system, in plain language: how the mandatory health insurance fund works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Luxembourg
Luxembourg's health system, in plain language: how the compulsory social health insurance fund works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Poland
Poland's health system, in plain language: how the social health insurance system works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Portugal
Portugal's health system, in plain language: how the National Health Service works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Slovak Republic
The Slovak Republic's health system, in plain language: how the compulsory social health insurance system works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Slovenia
Slovenia's health system, in plain language: how the compulsory social health insurance system works, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Bulgaria
Bulgaria's health system, in plain language: compulsory insurance through the NHIF, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Croatia
Croatia's health system, in plain language: mandatory insurance through the CHIF, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
Health system: Romania
Romania's health system, in plain language: compulsory insurance through the NHIH, what patients pay, and the key figures.
Published 6 November 2026 · Last reviewed 7 November 2026 · Next review 7 May 2027
More hubs
Explore other themes
Country Profiles: the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Twenty-six health systems outside Europe, in the same plain-language template.
Policy Compared
How countries organise and pay for healthcare, compared side by side.
Global Data Explained
What published worldwide figures mean — climate, air, sun, life expectancy and WHO data.
Sources
Sources
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare two countries?
Use the Health System Comparison tool for six countries side by side, and read Health system models, explained for the four models.
What does “free at the point of use” mean?
No payment when the care is received — not that the care costs nothing: somebody pays, through taxation or contributions, before the patient arrives.
Where is the full table of all fifty-six profiles?
On the Countries page — every profile, with region and model filters.