Spain Healthcare Statistics, Trends & Facts (2025)

Spain has one of the most inclusive and most efficient healthcare systems in Europe. 99.5% of the population is covered by the public health system, and the country boasts the highest life expectancy in the EU, despite spending less than many of its neighbors.

This post breaks down Spain’s healthcare statistics and trends, including life expectancy, health expenditures, private insurance rates, and causes of death.

Key Spanish Healthcare Statistics – Top Picks

A quick look at the headline numbers shaping Spain’s health system:

• 10.7% of GDP goes toward healthcare (EU average: 11%)
• 27 countries spend more on healthcare per capita than Spain
• Circulatory diseases caused 26.2% of deaths in 2023
• Cancers accounted for 25.6% of deaths
• 28% of Spanish residents (12.4M people) have private health insurance
• 82% of Spanish civil servants use private insurance

Spain population statistics

Spain’s population continues to grow modestly while remaining majority urban.

• 49.15 million total population (as of April 2025)
• Net increase of +75,865 people in Q1 2025 (+0.16%)
• The Spanish population is expected to grow by 0.64% in 2025.
• 79.3% live in urban areas; 20.7% in rural zones
• 49% male (24.11M); 51% female (25.04M)
• 86% Spanish citizens; 14% foreign nationals

Source: Worldometer, Spanish Statistical Office

Life expectancy statistics Spain

Spain continues to lead the EU in life expectancy, with consistent year-over-year increases.

• 84.25 years average life expectancy (2025)
• Up from 84.12 in 2024 and 83.88 in 2023
• 45.9 years median age

Below is the breakdown of the average life expectancy in Spain from 2002 to 2025:

Regional highlight

• Madrid and the surrounding regions have the highest life expectancy in the EU at 86.1 years

This is 4.7 years above the EU average of 81.4 years.

Source: Macrotrends, Eurostat

Cause of death statistics in Spain

Non-communicable diseases dominate Spain’s mortality profile.

• Circulatory system diseases caused 26.2% of deaths in 2023.
• 25.6% were due to cancers.

These two categories account for over half of all deaths in Spain.

Here are the other leading causes of death in Spain:

Source: World Health Organization, Spanish Statistical Office

How healthy are Spaniards?

Chronic health conditions are widespread, especially among older adults, but Spain still maintains some of the EU’s lowest obesity and alcohol consumption rates.

• 55% of Spaniards report having at least one chronic condition

• This rises to 60% for adults aged 65 and older

• 33% of adults aged 30–79 (~10M people) have hypertension

• 20% of Spaniards smoke (EU average: 9%)

• 6% are classified as heavy drinkers (EU average: 19%)

• 16.0% obesity rate (EU’s 8th lowest)

  • 16.5% of men
  • 15.5% of women

Spain performs well on several lifestyle-related health indicators despite a high rate of chronic illness.

Source: World Health Organization, Spanish Statistical Office, OECD/European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Spanish Statistical Office

How much does Spain spend on healthcare?

Spain’s healthcare spending rose significantly in recent years but remains below the EU average both in GDP share and per capita terms.

• 10.7% of GDP spent on healthcare in 2020–21

  • Up from 8.9% in 2017
  • EU average: 11%

• €131.98 billion total healthcare spending

• €2,771 per capita, nearly 33% less than EU average (€4,028)

Below is the breakdown of Spain’s healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP since 2000:

Spain ranks among the lowest EU countries in per capita healthcare spending:

Who pays for healthcare in Spain?

Public financing covers the bulk of health expenditures, but out-of-pocket costs remain significant.

• 71.6% (€94.69B) of health spending came from public funds

• 28.4% (€37.29B) came from private sources

  • 21.0% of total funding came directly from out-of-pocket spending

This structure reflects Spain’s tax-based healthcare model with growing reliance on supplemental payments.

Sources:  OECD/European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, World Bank Group, Macrotrends, Spanish Ministry of Health, OECD

Where does Spain spend its healthcare budget?

Hospitals receive the largest share of Spain’s public healthcare budget, followed closely by outpatient services.

• 51.2% of public health spending went to hospital care
• 42.5% went to outpatient care

Here’s a breakdown of where Spain spends its healthcare budget:

Consumer-driven segments

Nearly all spending on therapeutic devices (e.g. glasses, hearing aids) comes out of pocket.

• 97.4% of spending on durable medical products was paid by consumers

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health, Feather Insurance

How popular is public health insurance in Spain?

Universal coverage remains the foundation of Spain’s system.

• 99.5% of residents are covered by the Spanish National Health System (SNS)
• Participation is mandatory and funded through income tax contributions

Public coverage ensures access to essential services for all legal residents.

Source: Feather Insurance, European Health Observatory

How popular is private health insurance in Spain?

Private health insurance supplements, but does not replace, public coverage in Spain.

• 28% of residents (12.4M people) had private coverage in 2024
• Catalonia has the highest uptake (~34%)
• 82% of civil servants have private health insurance

Private health insurance market leaders

Overall, 5 major insurers dominate the sector.

SegurCaixa Adeslas holds 28.5% of the private insurance market. 

Here is the breakdown of the 5 largest providers of private health insurance in Spain by market share.

Average cost of Spanish private health insurance

• Average premium: €698 per year or €58.2 per month
• Final cost varies by age, location, provider, and coverage level

Spain’s private insurance market is growing, especially among higher-income earners and those seeking shorter wait times.

Sources: Feather Insurance, Freopp.org, La Vanguardia, IDIS Foundation

How big is Spain’s healthcare sector?

Spain employs hundreds of thousands in healthcare, with most staff concentrated in hospitals and direct care roles.

• 763,355 professionals worked in the public healthcare network (2023)

  • 75.7% worked in hospitals
  • 16.0% in primary care centers
  • 3.4% in emergency services

• 172,157 medical professionals and 221,406 nurses

  • Medical and nursing staff make up 51.6% of the public healthcare workforce

Private sector employment

• 74,597 staff employed directly by private hospitals

• 34,379 additional professionals contracted via non-salaried agreements

  • Includes 8,525 doctors working in private hospitals

Staffing ratios

• 6.3 nurses per 1,000 residents (EU average: 8.5)
• 4.5 doctors per 1,000 residents (EU average: 4.1)
• 6.03 dentists and 12.29 pharmacists per 10,000 residents

Source:  Spanish Ministry of Health, ETKHO, OECD/European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, World Health Organization

How many hospitals are in Spain?

Spain has a relatively low hospital density compared to the OECD average, but its bed availability has remained stable for over a decade.

• 776 hospitals in 2024 (up from 765 in 2015)

  • 16.4 hospitals per million residents (OECD average: 27.4)

• 449 hospitals are public; the rest are private

Hospital bed capacity

• 155,077 total hospital beds nationwide

  • 126,004 beds (82.5%) in the public system
  • 29,073 beds (17.75%) in the private sector

• 296 beds per 100,000 people (EU average: 525)

• Bed availability has remained stable since 2013

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health, European Health Observatory, ETKHO 

How many people are hospitalized in Spain?

Spain’s public hospitals handle the majority of inpatient care and outpatient consultations, with private hospitals providing additional capacity.

• 4 million inpatient admissions in public hospitals annually

• 87 million public sector medical consultations per year

• 3.5 million surgical interventions performed each year

  • 48.6% of major surgeries are outpatient

Average length of stay

• 7.8 days: public hospital average

  • 6.7 days in acute care
  • 55.9 days in long-term care

• 5.4 days: private hospital average

  • 20% of private admissions are funded by the public system

Here is the breakdown of average hospital stays by type of facility in the public and private sector:

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health, ETKHO

What are the most common reasons for hospital stays in Spain?

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and cancer are the most frequent drivers of hospitalizations.

• 13.4% of SNS hospital admissions are due to cardiovascular diseases

  • 10.3 admissions per 1,000 residents

• 6 admissions per 1,000 residents for malignant tumors

  • 8.2 days average hospital stay for cancer-related admissions

Here is the breakdown of the four most common reasons for hospitalisation in Spain:

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health

Sick leave statistics in Spain

Sick leave has surged in Spain since 2018, especially for mental health conditions.

• 396 million sick days recorded in 2023

  • Equivalent to 20 working days per worker
  • 62% increase since 2018

• 4.1% of the workforce is on sick leave at any given time

Mental health trends

• 78% increase in mental health-related sick leave since 2018

• Now the second leading cause of extended sick leave

  • 21% of women cite mental health reasons
  • 15% of men

Source: Umivale Activa, SUR in English, SUR