Countries With The Best Healthcare

What countries have the best healthcare system in the world?

Healthcare varies widely from country to country, across a variety of criteria, and so it is difficult to say for definite which country has the best global healthcare. However, the Health Care Index 2024 offers us some insight into which countries provide the best healthcare, with the following 10 countries ranking at the top:

1. Taiwan
2. South Korea
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Sweden
6. Ireland
7. Netherlands
8. Germany
9. Norway
10. Israel

We can see that countries from a range of global regions take the top spots, demonstrating that different approaches to healthcare can still perform at the top level. Taiwan, in the top spot, uses a national health insurance system which was introduced in 1995, whereas Australia, in the third spot, incorporates a blend of private and public healthcare.

Sweden, also in the top-10 list, has a decentralised healthcare system in which care is provided regardless of income. This differs from countries such as the US, for example, where healthcare is generally dependent on insurance status.

How is healthcare in other countries different?

Healthcare varies substantially between countries. In general, there are four main healthcare system models which countries can pick between:

1. Beveridge model: As seen in the UK, this model involves a national health service which is funded through tax and which provides free medical care to citizens.
2. Bismarck (social insurance) model: First seen in Germany, this model involves a joint system in which both employees and employers pay into healthcare, where insurers act as non-profit ‘sickness funds’ but medical services themselves are generally private.
3. National health insurance model: As seen in France, this model requires citizens to contribute to a government-run insurance programme and pay a small co-pay when accessing medical services.
4. Private health insurance model: As seen in the US, this system requires citizens to pay for health insurance in order to access most medical services. In many cases, employers will also contribute to insurance costs. If an individual does not have health insurance, they will generally not be able to receive health care, although they may also be able to pay out of pocket.

Healthcare will generally vary significantly depending on which system a particular country uses.

Top 10 European Countries for Healthcare

According to the 2024 Health Care Index, the top 10 European countries with the best healthcare system are as follows:

1. Sweden
2. Ireland
3. Netherlands
4. Germany
5. Norway
6. Belgium
7. Switzerland
8. Austria
9. Czechia
10. Finland

Countries in the Nordic region of Europe are thus well-represented in this list of countries with the best healthcare systems. Western European countries are also strongly represented. Countries in Eastern Europe, however (with the exception of Czechia) are not well-represented.

This is likely to correspond to Western and Nordic European countries generally ranking more highly according to national wealth and development indicators, and greater strain on Eastern European economies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in the region. The economies of countries like Ireland and Norway, on the other hand, are currently performing strongly, with Norway in particular benefiting from a profitable oil industry.

Citizens of the EU can move interchangeably between EU countries and can generally access healthcare in those countries. However, there may still be some restrictions for temporary visitors from another EU country and so you should make sure to verify your exact coverage before starting your journey. If you are from a non-EU country, you should make sure to obtain health insurance before travelling to the EU, including UK citizens, post-Brexit.

International Health Insurance Plans

Before travelling to an overseas destination, you should make sure to obtain health insurance cover. This helps protect you in the event that you fall ill or are involved in an accident during your travels.

There are a number of insurance companies which offer international insurance plans, including the following:

• Cigna:
  • Choice of co-pay
  • Option of inpatient care (i.e. hospital stays/ use of overnight hospital beds)
  • Online customer service
  • Option of mental health care
  • Choice of coverage area (worldwide or worldwide excluding the US)
• GeoBlue Xplorer:
  • No co-pay for standard medical appointments like preventative care or office visits
  • No waiting periods for preventative care (e.g. standard doctor visits)
  • This option is a strong fit for US citizens who are moving overseas or non-US citizens when they first move to the US
• IMG Global:
  • A more budget-friendly option, often considered a good choice for travelling students
  • Prescription coverage
  • Emergency evacuation coverage
  • A range of maximum coverage options
• Bupa Global:
  • A range of coverage options
  • Emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage
  • Services in a wide variety of global locations

In general, the breadth of your medical coverage will depend on the package which you select and your insurance budget. Exact costs vary according to a number of factors, including your age, health history, and how thoroughly the plan covers different potential health needs.

There are a variety of services which international health insurance plans might provide, including:

• Covering hospitalisation costs (e.g. surgery and overnight stays)
• Dental care
• Outpatient services (e.g. visiting an outpatient doctor or an emergency department during your travels)
• Management of a long-term health condition
• Telehealth
• Vaccinations

You will generally be asked to pick the plan which works best for your budget and medical needs. Some insurance companies also allow you to tailor your own plan, adding the specific services which you require to your package.

Depending on what you choose, note that your package may limit your care to certain times of day and certain clinics or hospitals. It may also include a co-pay (or deductible), meaning you will be expected to contribute part of the cost of your treatment, up to a certain amount (as specified in the details of your insurance package). In general, the more you pay for your insurance package, the more thorough your package is likely to be and the lower the co-pay/deductible.

In order to ensure maximum coverage and ease of mind, you should aim for a package which incorporates the following:

• 24-hour coverage
• Coverage which extends to all (or most) local clinics and hospitals in your travel destination
• Low (or no) co-pay
• High maximum coverage amount (in case the care you receive exceeds the coverage amount which you selected, in which case you will be responsible for the remaining balance)
• Hospitalisation coverage, in case you fall seriously unwell or are involved in an accident during your travels

What countries have free healthcare?

A number of countries around the world offer free healthcare to their citizens. Some notable examples are as follows:

• UK: The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) offers free healthcare to all citizens and permanent residents at the point of use. This means that there is no charge for doctor’s visits and hospital stays, for example, though many citizens do contribute to the cost through their tax payments. However, tourists and visa holders in the UK will generally have to pay in order to access the NHS, with visa holders generally needing to pay the national health surcharge for the duration of their stay
• Norway: In Norway, all taxpayers are covered by the Norwegian healthcare system and pay a maximum of $200 a year for their healthcare costs, after which all remaining costs are covered by the Norwegian government
• Spain: Spain offers free healthcare to all of its legal residents, which covers all doctor’s visits and most medical services
• Saudi Arabia: All citizens of Saudi Arabia are provided with free healthcare by the Saudi government, although expats will generally require private insurance

Many countries around the world offer universal coverage of health insurance to their citizens, meaning that citizens contribute to a national insurance programme and then pay a small copay at the point of care, such as in France and Czechia.

Note that, even in countries which offer public healthcare to their citizens, there are often also private options. In countries where public health services are oversubscribed or involve long waiting times, for example, certain citizens may opt for privatised health care instead, either through their employer or paying out of pocket.

Even if you are visiting a country which offers free healthcare to its citizens, it is unlikely that you will be eligible for free healthcare services. You should make sure to verify your coverage before travelling and to obtain health insurance for the duration of your stay, as appropriate.

Worst Healthcare Countries Worldwide

Given the number of possible criteria which contribute to a country’s healthcare system, such as affordability, quality of care, availability of services, and accessibility of hospitals and clinics,, it is difficult to say for certain which countries offer the worst healthcare.

However, the Health Care Index included 110 countries in its 2024 ranking and found the following 10 countries to come in at the bottom of the list:

101. Democratic Republic of the Congo
102. Sudan
103. Libya
104. Pakistan
105. Sri Lanka
106. Bolivia
107. Paraguay
108. Nepal
109. Honduras
110. El Salvador

There are a number of factors which could contribute to these findings, including developing economies, regional conflict, and lack of universal healthcare. However, it is important to note that many factors contribute to the quality of medical care and you should ensure that your destination meets your medical needs, even if it is not on the above list.

What are the key factors that determine a country’s healthcare ranking?

The Commonwealth Fund’s ‘Mirror, Mirror 2024’ Report offers the following five criteria when providing its own findings on the healthcare systems of different countries:

• Access to care: this criterion measures the affordability and availability of healthcare services in each of the 10 countries that the Commonwealth Fund assessed. Using this criterion, countries such as the UK and the Netherlands ranked especially highly
• Care process: this criterion measures whether the care provided also includes features which are considered essential to high-quality care, instead in terms of prevention, safety, coordination, patient engagement, and sensitivity to patient preferences. New Zealand and the US both did very strongly according to this criterion
• Administrative efficiency: this criterion measures factors like the ease of handling insurance companies, amount of time taken to resolve bill disputes, time spent on medical paperwork, and data reporting requirements. Australia and the UK both ranked highly according to this criterion and the US ranked lowly
• Equity: This criterion refers to how access to and experience of healthcare differ between high and low income individuals within the country in question. To score well, the difference between high and low income individuals should be smaller. Both Australia and Germany scored well in this category, whereas the US scored poorly, owing to the difference in healthcare quality based on insurance status
• Health Outcomes: This criterion refers to how well the country responds to health care interventions, with Australia and New Zealand scoring well and the US scoring poorly

In its 2024 report, the Commonwealth Fund found the following five countries to have the highest performance ranking (from best to worst):

1. Australia
2. Netherlands
3. United Kingdom
4. New Zealand
5. France

The US came at the bottom of the 10 countries which were measured.

How does healthcare quality impact a country’s overall development?

Healthcare plays a pivotal role in a country’s overall development. For one thing, a strong healthcare system creates a high number of national jobs and encourages investment in the country.

Additionally, if a country’s workforce is unable to receive adequate healthcare, this reduces the size of the working population and so has negative consequences for the national economy. Poor healthcare can also reinforce existing inequalities within a country, limiting the financial prospects of certain segments of the population.

‘Brain drain’, where a country’s most qualified individuals move overseas to pursue work opportunities, can also impact overall development. This limits the money which these individuals are contributing to the local economy and, in the case of the medical field, limits the availability of healthcare professionals.

Tourists may also be less likely to visit a country if its healthcare system has a poor reputation, owing to concerns for their health when they are on their trip.

In general, a strong healthcare system plays a central role in a well-functioning economy, helping provide a strong workforce, an inviting tourist location, an an appealing investment option.

Countries Spending the Most on Healthcare

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the following 10 countries spent the most on health spending in 2023:

1. United States
2. France
3. New Zealand
4. Sweden
5. Finland
6. Korea
7. Denmark
8. Iceland
9. Colombia
10. Lithuania

Note that spending the most does not necessarily correspond to the best level of healthcare, as total health spending depends on a number of factors, such as cost of medicines and treatment.

However, it still forms an important part of the global healthcare picture and gives an insight into the level of investment in health per country, and suggests cases where the level of health spending is not necessarily responsible for the lower quality of healthcare.

Safest Countries for Healthcare

It is difficult to say for certain which countries in the world are the safest for healthcare. However, one measure would be to use the countries with the highest-ranking healthcare systems.

According to this measure, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Sweden would be the safest countries according to the Health Care Index and Australia, The Netherlands, The UK, New Zealand, and France would be the safest according to the Commonwealth Fund.

In general, how safe a country’s healthcare is for you will depend heavily on how well it is able to meet your particular health needs. Before travelling to a country, you should make sure to obtain an insurance package which fits your circumstances. You should also make sure that the area to which you are travelling has local medical facilities which are able to accommodate any existing health concerns you have or any issues which might emerge during your travels.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding whether your travel destination is able to meet your healthcare needs, contact IAS today on +44 (0)333 414 9244.

Most Populous Countries Healthcare Comparison

According to Worldometer, the following 5 countries are the most populous in the world as of 2025:

1. India
2. China
3. US
4. Indonesia
5. Pakistan

Here is how they each rank according to the Health Care Index:

• India: 29th
• China: 46th
• United States: 15th
• Indonesia: 39th
• Pakistan: 104th

Size of population does therefore not necessarily correspond to quality of healthcare. Some of the countries with the smallest global populations, such as Iceland (at a population of approximately 400,000) score comparatively highly on the Health Care Index, with Iceland coming 35th.

In general, numerous factors go into the quality of healthcare, such as level of funding, accessibility of medical services, and quality of patient care.

How Can IAS Help You?

Whether you are looking to visit a new location on holiday or apply for a visa, you are likely to have important questions about the quality of healthcare in your chosen destination. Healthcare systems vary substantially between countries, and are measured according to a wide range of different criteria, including equity, health outcomes, accessibility, affordability, and administrative efficiency. The criteria which are most important to you are likely to depend on your specific health needs and how long you are staying.

In general, it is important to obtain health insurance before travelling to a new global destination. The exact package which is right for you will depend on your coverage needs and your insurance budget.

To learn more about the different insurance options, contact IAS online today, or on +44 (0)333 414 9244. We can help you navigate the healthcare system of your new destination and ensure that all your care needs are met.