Healthcare, Italy and the others: few nurses and hospital beds, we spend less but live longer

The health indicators remain good with Italians having a life expectancy of 83.5 years, 2.4 years more than the average of the most developed countries in the world that are part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, even if growth has slowed down and in fact we have been overtaken by Spain. Even the indicator on avoidable mortality sees us in an enviable position with only 93 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants compared to the OECD average of 145, thanks above all to our lifestyles, which in fact see a 12% incidence of obese people compared to the average of 19%. But the positive news in the comparison between the 38 most developed countries in the world contained in the latest "Health at Glance 2025" report, just published, ends here, given that the comparison on various health indicators still see us far behind and do not bode well for the future, especially on the spending side

In fact, according to the latest OECD report, Italy spends USD 5164 per person on healthcare, compared to an average of USD 5967 (purchasing power being equal), and in relation to the GDP - one of the indicators at the centre of the controversy in Italy - we are at 8.4%, compared to the OECD average of 9.3%, and public healthcare spending is worth 6.3% of GDP, far behind France's 9.7% and Germany's 10.6%, and even behind Spain, which stands at 6.7%. Lastly, we have few nurses - 6.9 per thousand inhabitants compared to the average of 9.2v (with some countries having up to 19 nurses per thousand inhabitants) - and few beds: we have only 3 per thousand Italian beds compared to 4.2 in the OECD. Despite the fact that there is often talk of a shortage of doctors in Italy compared to other countries, we are not in such bad shape, on the contrary: we have 5.4 white coats compared to the 3.9 doctors on average in OECD countries (although many Italian doctors are already over 55). We also have a fair number of pharmacists: we have 140 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the average is 86. Even worse for a country that is one of the oldest in the world is the figure for long-term care workers per 100 people over 65, which in Italy is 1.5, lower than the OECD average of 5. Another shortcoming that distinguishes Italy is the low use of generic drugs, which are less expensive - both for the National Health Service and for citizens - and in fact in our country represent only 28% of the market compared to the OECD average of 56%. Finally, according to the report, only 44% of Italians are satisfied with the quality of the healthcare they receive, compared to an average of 64% in other countries.

Against a backdrop of overall health expenditure rising as a percentage of GDP compared to before the pandemic when it averaged 8.8%, life expectancy post-Covid has improved and is rising but remains below pre-pandemic levels in 13 countries by 2023, says the Report, which points the finger at rising obesity rates, harmful alcohol consumption and smoking as "major public health problems for both adults and children". Italy, according to the Report, scores better than the OECD average in seven of the 10 key indicators measuring health status and health risk factors. In detail, life expectancy is 83.5 years, i.e. 2.4 years more than the OECD average, and with further margins for recovery, since preventable mortality in Italy stands at 93 per 100,000 inhabitants (lower than the OECD average of 145) while curable mortality is 52 per 100,000 inhabitants (lower than the OECD average of 77). Overall, only 5.9% of Italians rate their health as bad or very bad (OECD average 8.0%). Another indicator considered is the suicide rate of 6 per 100,000 inhabitants, almost half the OECD average of 11 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In Italy, the entire population is covered by a set of essential services, while in the average of OECD countries, coverage is 98% of the population. Antibiotic consumption is bad: Italy prescribes 21 daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants, more than the OECD average of 16.