Greece Ranks Last in EU for Long-Term Care Beds

Greece faces significant challenges in its healthcare infrastructure, particularly in long-term care, according to the latest Eurostat data.

The country has the lowest number of long-term care beds in the European Union, with only 20 beds per 100,000 people, a figure that has declined from 24.06 in 2013. This places Greece at the bottom of the 26 EU countries with available data, far behind leaders like the Netherlands (1,400 beds per 100,000), Sweden (1,315), and Belgium (1,250).

In contrast, Greece fares better in hospital bed availability, with 424.06 beds per 100,000 people in 2023, close to the EU average of 511. This represents a slight increase from 419.88 in 2020 and 426.07 in 2022. However, the EU average has decreased from 557 beds per 100,000 in 2013 to 511 in 2023, reflecting advancements in medical science that have reduced hospital stays through outpatient care and shorter inpatient treatments. Bulgaria leads the EU with 864 hospital beds per 100,000, followed by Germany (766) and Romania (728), while Sweden (187), the Netherlands (231), and Denmark (233) have the fewest.

Family-Centric Care Under Strain

In Greece, the burden of long-term care often falls on families, a tradition rooted in the country’s social structure. However, rapid socio-economic changes are reshaping the Greek family, making it harder to sustain this informal care system. Studies highlight that the aging population, coupled with increased life expectancy and rising chronic illnesses, is driving demand for formal long-term care services. By 2050, 36% of Greece’s population is projected to be over 65, compared to 21.7% in 2017, with 14% over 80, up from 6.8%.

Approximately 26% of Greeks over 65 face severe limitations in daily activities, compared to 17% across OECD countries. This underscores the growing need for robust long-term care facilities, a gap that Greece’s current infrastructure struggles to address.

Rising Healthcare Needs

The demand for long-term care is expected to surge as chronic conditions and comorbidities become more prevalent. Across OECD countries, 51% of people over 80 required long-term care in 2017, compared to 27% of those aged 65–79 and 21% under 65. Greece’s low capacity for long-term care beds raises concerns about its ability to meet these growing needs, particularly as the population ages.

Source: pagenews.gr