In 2022, preventive healthcare expenditure in the EU accounted for 5.5% of the total healthcare expenditure.
This share reflects the impact of preventive care measures activated to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which were still in place in 2022. As a result, spending on preventive healthcare increased from 2.9% in 2019 and 3.5% in 2020 to 6.1% in 2021.
The highest shares recorded in 2022 were in Germany (7.9% of total health expenditure), Austria (7.4%) and Finland (6.4%). The lowest share was recorded in Malta (1.2%), followed by Poland (1.9%) and Slovakia (2.0%).
Source dataset: hlth_sha11_hc
Expenditure on preventive care in the EU amounted to €202 per inhabitant, a 6% decrease compared with 2021 (€216 per inhabitant).
Among EU countries, Germany (€458) had the highest preventive care expenditure per inhabitant, followed by Austria (€411) and the Netherlands (€312).
By contrast, Poland (€22), Romania (€24) and Bulgaria (€31) recorded the lowest expenditures.
Source dataset: hlth_sha11_hc
This article marks World Cancer Day, observed annually on 4 February to raise awareness about cancer and encourage its prevention.
Source: Eurostat, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/product?code=ddn-20250204-1
