03 October, 2018

By VIVA Team

OCT-03_Health-System_Blog

Bloomberg’s study paints Spain in a very positive light in terms of its overall healthcare service.

One factor that is often left off many expats’ list of reasons for moving to Spain is the exceptional healthcare infrastructure the country provides for its citizens and registered expats alike…


A recently-published Health Care Efficiency Index by Bloomberg rated Spain’s the third most efficient healthcare system in the world and – in so doing – the best in the whole of Europe.

The financial information and communications giant puts only Singapore and Hong Kong above Spain on its list of countries with the most efficient healthcare, where performance indicators include average lifespan of its people, budget spending on healthcare per-capita and spending as a percentage of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

The index takes into account the 56 nations worldwide whose average lifespan is over 70 years, whose GDP per-capita is higher than 5,000 US dollars and whose population exceeds five million: in other words, what you might call some of the most economically-developed countries.

Rounding out the top ten on Bloomberg’s list are Italy, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, in that order.

One of the reasons for Spain’s admirable position is its high median life expectancy, which latest figures indicate to be 82.5 years. Only people from Hong Kong, Japan and Switzerland can expect to live longer, on average, than Spaniards.

Isn’t this just due to the Mediterranean diet? Well, without delving too much into regional stereotypes and old wives’ tales, this must play a part in life expectancy, since neighbours Italy – who, incidentally, were named Bloomberg’s World’s Healthiest People in 2017 – also make it into the top five and have a very similar average lifespan.

More probable than simply its olive oil-rich diet is the fact that Spain pumps a substantial 9.2% of GDP into its public healthcare system, which equates to a spend of 2,354 US dollars (around €2,000) per person per year.

It also has one of the lowest fatality rates from treatable conditions in the whole of Europe, meaning medical assistance is much more risk-free compared to countries where healthcare scandals come to light with alarming frequency.

So, if you’re looking to retire to Spain, you can have complete confidence in the fact that you’re going to receive a better level of healthcare than you would back home… unless you’re from either Singapore or Hong Kong, that is! Check out VIVA’s guide to Healthcare and Hospitals on the Costa del Sol here>>

Don’t agree with this? Leave us a message below and give us your opinion or share your healthcare experience…