Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union

European Union: Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care was 1.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
1.7%
Change on year
up 12.0%
Rank
35th
of 39 groups
All-time high
3.4%
in 2004
All-time low
1.5%
in 2021
Years of data
20
2003–2022

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union, 2003–2022

01232003201220222003: 3.3 % of people at risk2004: 3.4 % of people at risk2005: 3.1 % of people at risk2006: 2.7 % of people at risk2007: 2.4 % of people at risk2008: 2.3 % of people at risk2009: 2.4 % of people at risk2010: 2.6 % of people at risk2011: 2.7 % of people at risk2012: 3 % of people at risk2013: 2.9 % of people at risk2014: 2.8 % of people at risk2015: 2.7 % of people at risk2016: 2.5 % of people at risk2017: 2.3 % of people at risk2018: 2.1 % of people at risk2019: 1.9 % of people at risk2020: 1.9 % of people at risk2021: 1.5 % of people at risk2022: 1.7 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

In 2022, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union stood at 1.7%.

That represents a change of up 12.0% on the previous year and down 43.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union peaked at 3.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2021.

European Union ranks 35th of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union, year by year

Annual values for Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in European Union, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 3.3%
2004 3.4% +2.3%
2005 3.1% -8.9%
2006 2.7% -13.6%
2007 2.4% -8.9%
2008 2.3% -4.4%
2009 2.4% +4.4%
2010 2.6% +7.3%
2011 2.7% +2.1%
2012 3.0% +10.8%
2013 2.9% -1.2%
2014 2.8% -2.8%
2015 2.7% -5.5%
2016 2.5% -6.1%
2017 2.3% -8.1%
2018 2.1% -9.0%
2019 1.9% -8.9%
2020 1.9% -3.3%
2021 1.5% -19.8%
2022 1.7% +12.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.8% 2.3% 3.4% 7
2010s 2.6% 1.9% 3.0% 10
2020s 1.7% 1.5% 1.9% 3

Countries ranked near European Union

  1. 32 Guatemala 44.1% compare
  2. 33 Iran 43.7% compare
  3. 34 Papua New Guinea 39.5% compare
  4. 35 Nicaragua 38.3% compare
  5. 36 Pakistan 33.7% compare
  6. 37 Lithuania 32.6% compare
  7. 38 Lesotho 30.0% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for European Union

All data for European Union →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union?
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union was 1.7% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in European Union?
The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2004.
What is the lowest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in European Union?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2021.
How does European Union rank for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care?
European Union ranks 35th out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
Is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in European Union?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this European Union data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in European Union. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/european-union/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required. Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.