Belgium among the world's top in healthcare

26/01/2017

Once again Belgium has scored extremely well in the area of healthcare in the welfare index published each year by the ‘Legatum Institute’.

In the tenth edition of the ‘Legatum Prosperity Index’, which appeared at the end of 2016, Belgium achieved a meritable 16th place, just ahead of the United States and France. Healthcare itself even reached a fabulous 11th place.

Remarkable characteristics in the Belgian system are its universal access to high-quality healthcare and the requirement for all citizens to take out health insurance. With this the average life expectancy in Belgium is currently 81.1 years.

According to the ‘Legatum Institute’ the three countries with the highest scores when it comes to healthcare are Luxembourg, Singapore and Switzerland. This conclusion is based on the measurement of a country's general mental and physical state of health, its health infrastructure and the availability of preventative care.

The ‘Legatum Institute’ is a London think tank that gathers information connected to welfare levels in around 150 countries across the world.

Moreover, results from the ‘Euro Health Consumer Index 2016’ recently published by HCP show that the quality of Belgian healthcare is among the best in Europe. In an international ranking involving 35 countries Belgium came fourth. Together with Switzerland and FYR Macedonia, Belgium even leads the pack when it comes to accessibility.

Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP) is a Swedish think tank that specialises in comparing healthcare systems throughout Europe.