Healthcare in Portugal - statistics & facts
The healthcare system was the main cause for concern for the Portuguese, according to a poll conducted in December 2023, above hot topics such as corruption and inflation. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health system in Portugal has been under scrutiny and under the pressure of keeping up with the demand of the population for health services. Even though the public healthcare provider expenditure was the highest in 2022, it did not correspond to the highest share of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on the sector, which may explain part of the social discontent.
Diseases of the circulatory system and malignant neoplasms were the main causes of death in Portugal in 2022. The eating behavior of the Portuguese, characterized by the intake of high volumes of meat, and cigarette consumption habits, with 40 percent of people aged 35 to 44 years smoking, also contribute to mortality causes.
Healthcare services in Portugal
The Portuguese have access to free, or nearly free, healthcare services provided by the state. However, despite the hundreds of hospitals and the thousands of hospital beds and physicians, the health infrastructure and workforce of Portugal are not enough to match the needs of the population. As of 2024, 1.6 million citizens do not have a general practitioner, and specialized treatment can be hard to get, since more than 124 days have to pass in order for the Portuguese to have a first specialty consultation. This is much above the guaranteed maximum response time. In the case of medical treatments that are not free, as is the case of many dental procedures, the high prices are the cause for unmet care.Health status of the Portuguese
The difficulty in accessing preventive and therapeutic medical care in Portugal results in the development of health problems which jeopardize the quality of life. Although 55 percent of men and 47 percent of women classified their health status as good or very good in 2023, 45 percent of people suffered from chronic diseases or other long-standing health problems, with disabilities mainly affecting women of all age groups compared to men.Diseases of the circulatory system and malignant neoplasms were the main causes of death in Portugal in 2022. The eating behavior of the Portuguese, characterized by the intake of high volumes of meat, and cigarette consumption habits, with 40 percent of people aged 35 to 44 years smoking, also contribute to mortality causes.
