Analytics, EU – CIS, Health, Latvia, Statistics

The highest share of children with unmet medical needs was reported in Belgium (8.7%) and Romania (7.4%), followed by Sweden (4.3%), Finland (3.3%) and Czechia (2.7%).

In contrast, the lowest share was reported in Austria (close to 0.0%), Germany (0.1%), and Hungary (0.2%), followed by Spain (0.3%), Croatia (0.4%), Malta (0.5%), Slovakia (0.6%) and Portugal (0.9%).

In 2017, 2.3% of children below 16 did not receive dental care that they needed.

The highest share of children with unmet needs for dental care was reported in Latvia (7.3%), followed by Portugal (6.0%), Spain and Romania (both 5.7%).

However, in seven Member States this rate dropped to less than 1%, namely in Hungary (0.3%), Croatia (0.4%), Germany (0.5%), Luxembourg (0.7%), France, Austria and Slovakia (all 0.9%).

Note: The information was gathered by interviewing one member of a household that included at least one child aged 15 or below. Children’s medical and dental needs can be unmet due to various reasons, such as inability to afford the treatment, long waiting lists, long travel times or no means of transport, or lack of time because of work or caring for family members or others.

Additional information on this topic is available in the News Release on Children’s health in the EU.