site.btaWeak Growth in Healthcare Expenditure as a Share of GDP Registered in Bulgaria in 2023 Y/Y - Eurostat

The average level of healthcare expenditure among European Union countries, measured as a share of gross domestic product, amounted to 10% in 2023, or EUR 1.73 trillion, according to the latest data from Eurostat. This reflects a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared with the level of such expenditures in 2022.

Among EU member states for which data is available, healthcare spending in 2023 was highest in Germany – EUR 492 billion, followed by France – EUR 325 billion, Italy – EUR 179 billion, and Spain – EUR 138 billion.

Healthcare expenditure as a share of GDP was also highest in Germany – 11.75%, followed by France – 11.5%, and Austria and Sweden – both at 11.2% of GDP.

The lowest share of healthcare expenditure relative to the country’s GDP in 2023 was recorded in Luxembourg and Romania (both at 5.7%), Hungary (6.4%), and Ireland (6.6%).

In Bulgaria, healthcare expenditure in 2023 amounted to approximately EUR 7.5 billion, representing 7.92% of GDP, placing the country 17th by this indicator. The data show a slight increase compared with 2022, when healthcare spending represented 7.64% of GDP.

Current healthcare expenditures in the EU increased from EUR 2,668 per person in 2014 to EUR 3,835 in 2023 — a rise of 43.7% over this period. A similar trend was recorded in all EU countries.

Between 2014 and 2023, Romania registered the largest increase in total healthcare expenditure, with average per capita figures rising by 155.6%, followed by Bulgaria – up 148.9%, Lithuania – 143.8%, Latvia – 135.8%, Poland – 116.2%, Estonia – 114.6%, and Croatia – 108.9%. The smallest increase was recorded in Sweden – 15.2%.

Despite the growth during the period 2014–2023, Bulgaria remains second to last by this indicator, ahead only of Romania.