Most Health-Concerned Countries in Europe

• Czechs show the highest concern for their health in Europe, visiting doctors 11 times per year and doing regular medical checkups.
• Health worries make Poles spend heavily on medicine, with citizens personally covering 66% of their pharmacy bills.
• Denmark has the highest preventive screening rate in Europe, with 83% of Danes getting preventive examinations to detect problems early.

Healthcare spending across Europe has grown by 35% over the past two decades, reflecting increased awareness of personal well-being. A new study by CasinooftheKings analyzed European countries to identify where populations are most worried about their health.

The research assessed states across four healthcare indicators, including average yearly doctor visits, preventive screening participation, out-of-pocket medical costs, and direct spending on pharmaceuticals. Each country was given a score from 1 to 100, with higher values reflecting greater health concern among the population.

Here’s a look at the 10 European countries with the most medical anxiety:

Czechia ranks first as Europe’s most health-anxious country. Czech citizens visit doctors 11 times a year and actively participate in preventive screening (58% of the population). Czechs also cover 44% of their pharmaceutical expenses directly, while their government allocates a high share of GDP (7.5%) to healthcare needs.

Slovakia takes second place, with locals going to physicians around 11 times every year. Preventive checkups involve nearly half of Slovakians, and households pay for 19% of healthcare spending directly. The Slovak population also covers more than 30% of pharmaceutical costs out-of-pocket.

Next is Hungary, where people visit the doctor most often in Europe: about 12 times a year. Hungarians finance a larger share of healthcare costs themselves, paying 24% from personal income. They also rank high in self-medication, with more than half of all medicines bought directly.

Lithuanians are in fourth place, visiting their physicians 9 times annually while participating in preventive screenings at a 46% rate. The population shows particularly high personal healthcare investment, covering 32% of total health costs out-of-pocket, and paying for half of their pharmaceutical expenses with their own money. 

The Netherlands ranks fifth in health anxiety, even though the country ranks highest in the healthcare index. Dutch citizens visit doctors 8 times yearly, while showing Europe’s second-highest health check rate. The population maintains moderate personal health spending, with 31% of pharmaceutical expenses borne out-of-pocket.

Poland takes sixth, averaging over 7 doctor visits a year, with slightly more than half the population taking part in preventive screenings. Poles stand out in medication spending: two-thirds of all pharmaceutical costs here are paid directly by citizens, the highest share in Europe.

In seventh place is Germany, where locals take nearly 10 consultations a year and about half undergo regular checkups. The country allocates almost 11% of its GDP to healthcare (the most in Europe), which allows for lower personal spending for medical products.

Denmark comes in eighth position. Doctor visits are relatively rare here, but preventive checks are routine for 83% of the population. Danes also cover 54% of their pharmaceutical expenses directly, showing sizable self-care investment.

Belgians rank ninth for health concerns. People here see doctors about 7 times annually and show moderate screening uptake at 56%. Out-of-pocket payments in Belgium cover a fifth of healthcare spending, and a third of drug costs.

Estonia closes the top ten, with citizens averaging 6 doctor visits a year and 59% taking part in preventive screenings. Estonians spend quite heavily from their own pockets, funding 23% of overall health costs and 43% of medicine expenses.

“Health awareness has been steadily increasing across Europe,” says CasinooftheKings spokesperson. “People are paying more attention to their well-being and seeking medical care more consistently than previous generations. This attention to health contributes to longer lifespans, with average life expectancy now about 82 years in many European countries. In short, today’s Europeans are more health-conscious than their parents and grandparents, and this shows in health statistics: people are living longer and staying active into older age.”