Countries With the Best Healthcare in 2024

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Healthcare is a priority. Whether you are moving to or just visiting another country, you always want to ensure your health is taken care of.

Be it primary or preventive care, specialist or hospital treatment, short-term or long-term care service, being aware of the availability and practicalities of these services keeps you on the safe side.

But what’s the best health system in the world? Which country has the best healthcare? What criteria are they ranked against? Is it the social coverage or is it more related to the GDP?

In this guide, we’ll have a quick peek into the practical approaches of some of the best healthcare systems in the world by country.

Top 7 Countries in Healthcare

#7 Japan

The public healthcare system in Japan is universal and is known as the Statutory Health Insurance System (SHIS). All citizens and resident non-citizens with the exception of people with very low-income levels are required to register in this system. Employment or residence-based schemes are available for the SHIS. This system is one of the reasons why Japan is always among the countries with the best healthcare system. Healthcare is among the reasons why people prefer moving to Japan.

#6 Sweden

Planned on a nationwide level but applied regionally, Sweden’s healthcare system is quite in line with Denmark’s. Public taxation is also the funding source for Sweden. The country is divided into 21 regions that are responsible for delivering healthcare services as per the guidelines set by the central government. Drilling further down, there are many municipalities that manage long-term care services, especially for the disabled and elderly people. For primary care, a vast number of healthcare centers are available where patients are free to choose their general practitioners. For special care or hospitals, normally patients may contact directly with the specialists but a referral by the healthcare centers is the common practice most of the time.

#5 Denmark

Denmark has managed to establish a distinguished, universal healthcare system that is free for all citizens. Decentralization is the principal character of this system which is publicly financed through regional and municipal taxation. There is a strong integration and cooperation between the regulatory framework set by the central government and the five administrative regions acting as the deliverer of health services. The state has no direct involvement but supervises the implementation through four governmental agencies: The Health Authority, The Medicines Agency, The Patient Safety Authority, and The Health Data Authority.

#4 Taiwan

Taiwan carries a healthcare system quite similar to that of South Korea. It is also called National Health Insurance. This is an integrated, universal-coverage scheme that is run by the government and provides equitable service to all citizens. The system is obligatory to join and this also applies to foreigners living in the country for more than 6 months. Premium payments are done on a monthly basis. From inpatient and outpatient care to physical rehabilitation, and prescription drugs to health checkups, there is a wide spectrum of benefits within the coverage of the NHI.

#3 South Korea

South Korea is reputable for having a top-class high-quality public healthcare system. Its system is known as National Health Insurance (NHI) and provides universal coverage. All residents staying more than six months in the country are obliged to register for the system. Funding is through a mix of government support, social security premiums, and tobacco surcharges. The system is not free, but the cost is reasonably low. Only five percent of the monthly income goes to the NHI. Patients are normally expected to pay 20 percent of their medical treatment fees.

#2 Germany

Acclaimed as one of the most advanced medical technology developers in the world, Germany allocates more budget than the EU average to healthcare needs. You can single out Germany as one of the countries with the best medical care. All residents are required to register for a health insurance option. Many non-profit “sickness funds” are present which are actually public insurers. They cover a grand portion of the population’s needs for health insurance. A small percent is cut off from the monthly salary but this cost is half-shared by the employer. Definitely, if you’re living in Germany your earnings level is above a certain threshold you may elect to take out private insurance as well.

#1 France

The Healthcare system in France is one of the best in the world from a social perspective. Coverage is universal encompassing all residents. Funding is partially by mandatory social security premiums, which are cut off from your salary, and partially by government support. You can select freely from an integrated network of doctors and hospitals. Although upfront payment is necessary for most cases, state refunding is effective either in part or in full. Refunding rate waves from 70 percent up to 100 percent. People with very low-income rates benefit from 100 percent coverage.

The Verdict

Today, a preliminary identification of a physical disease can save lives. Diagnosis leads to preventative measures. And all these are only possible with a strong healthcare system in a country. Countries take different approached in terms of healthcare.

In some, social health coverage by the government sets the rule. There, people rely mostly on state support and do not really feel the necessity to go for a private insurance arrangement most of the time.

In some others, private insurers are raising the bar as an ever-increasing industry as there is not enough health support from the government.

Certainly, all of these solutions are dependent on a stable budget allocation, proper coverage of training and development needs of the healthcare workforce, and sustainable facility management. It is not an easy task to define the top healthcare system in the world or announce which country has the best healthcare. But we believe we’ve managed to give you an introduction.

If you liked this article, you may want to check out our article on the best healthcare in the world, as well as the best countries to live in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best health system in the world?

Single-payer healthcare system which is currently in use by many countries is a low-cost, universal system funded by the government through taxes and since there are no out-of-pocket fees for patients it is one of the best from a social benefit perspective.

What would be a proper healthcare ranking by country?

Based on the latest healthcare index generated by CEOWorld Magazine, the following countries have the best healthcare in the world: South Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, Japan, Australia, France, Spain, Belgium, and the UK. These countries are known to have the best healthcare system in the world.

How to define the criteria for the top healthcare system in the world?

What makes a good healthcare system is evident in a nation’s ability to organize itself to protect its citizens.

Are EU countries with best healthcare systems?

This depends. Some EU countries such as France and Germany have a good healthcare system. But Italy, for example, is notorious for its inefficient healthcare system. This is why we can’t generalize and say that all countries with best medical care are from the EU.