Health · Healthcare & Policy · 17 hrs ago
Satisfaction with Spain’s health system falls despite higher spending
The Spanish public health system is facing low public satisfaction, with a score of 6.19 out of 10 in the latest survey.
That is half a point below its 2018 rating, even though Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says health spending has risen 30% since his government took office.
The system serves more than 49 million people, and an ageing population and widespread chronic illness are increasing pressure on care.
About 20% of Spain’s population is over 65, and that share is projected to approach one-third in 20 years; chronic illnesses affect about 66.2% of people over 15.
Long waits are one visible problem, while new medicines can take 537 days to become available and may face restrictions on public funding.
The article says Spain’s health system needs to adapt to provide more care for chronic conditions, but gives no specific plan or timetable.
Satisfaction with Spain’s National Health System is 6.19 out of 10, half a point below its 2018 level.
The 2025 Spanish Health Survey found that 68.3% of people considered their health good, the lowest share in the series since 1987.
The figures come as Spain’s government says health spending has risen by 30% since it took office.
More than half of people over 15 have chronic diseases, which account for 80% of primary-care consultations.
- Who
- People in Spain and the country’s National Health System.
- What
- Satisfaction with the system has fallen despite higher health spending.
- When
- The latest figures include the 2025 Spanish Health Survey and data published in 2024. The article was published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- The article points to challenges including waiting lists, an ageing population, chronic disease and access to medicines.
Spanish government
Health-system indicators
Health spending
Spanish government
Pedro Sánchez said spending on health had risen by 30% since his government took office.
Health-system indicators
Satisfaction with the National Health System is 6.19 out of 10, half a point below its 2018 level.
Assessment
Spanish government
Sánchez described public health as a measure of a country’s democratic health.
Health-system indicators
The article reports low satisfaction and a decline in the share of people who consider their health good.
Satisfaction with the National Health System was half a point higher than the latest figure.
Publicly funded prescription-drug spending reached 13.865 billion euros, 650 million euros more than in 2023.
Pedro Sánchez said health spending had risen by 30% since his government took office.
The Gaspar Casal Foundation presented its evaluation report on the National Health System.
The Spanish Health Survey found that 68.3% of people considered their health good.
- Satisfaction
- 6.19 out of 10
- Change since 2018
- Down half a point
- Positive health perception
- 68.3% in the 2025 Spanish Health Survey
- Chronic disease
- Affects about 66.2% of people over 15
- Prescription-drug spending
- 13.865 billion euros in 2024
- Medicine waiting time
- 537 days, down from 616 days the previous year
What people are saying
the health of our public health system is the thermometer of a country's democratic health
you only see the tip of the iceberg of what is going wrong: waiting lists, but there is more underneath