The presented graph illustrates the percentage of adults whose healthcare needs went unmet over the past year from 2008 to 2022 across six European nations.
In general, there were notable disparities in the trends of unmet healthcare needs between Western and Eastern European nations, with Western countries showing an upward trajectory while Eastern countries displayed a decline.
In 2008, the percentage of adults experiencing unmet healthcare needs varied markedly among Eastern European countries, beginning at 5% in Estonia and escalating to 10% in Latvia, with Sweden aligning with these figures at 10%. A significant surge in unmet needs was observed between 2008 and 2012, especially in Latvia and Estonia, where the rates rose to 22% and 12%, respectively. Estonia subsequently registered a decrease to 14% in 2014 before peaking again at 18% in 2016. Meanwhile, Latvia’s unmet needs fluctuated before stabilizing at 5% by 2022. Ultimately, by 2022, Estonia and Sweden exhibited converging rates of approximately 10% and 11%, respectively, while Latvia showed a sustained reduction.
Conversely, the trends among Western European nations, namely the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France, exhibited a more concerning trajectory. In 2008, these countries began with similar rates of unmet healthcare needs, around 3% to 6%. By 2012, the United Kingdom notably experienced a dip to 4%, yet it rebounded to 6% by 2014. A decline followed, with the proportion remaining around 4% from 2014 to 2018, indicative of improved healthcare services. However, an alarming rise occurred thereafter, culminating in a striking peak at 15% in 2022 for the United Kingdom, surpassing the other nations, which experienced moderate increases, landing at 8% for Ireland and 10% for France.