Health expenditure in hospitals

Hospitals have traditionally been the key health care provider, in terms of their share of health spending. In 2016, health services in hospitals accounted for nearly two-fifths of all EU health expenditure and represented the largest spending category for most EU countries. In Estonia, Cyprus and Italy almost half of health care expenditure related to hospital services. In contrast, in Germany a greater proportion of health services are provided in ambulatory settings and, by consequence, hospital services in Germany accounted for less than 30% of health spending, the lowest share in the EU. Part of the variation in the share of hospital spending can also be attributed to the provision of outpatient pharmaceuticals, with hospital pharmacies playing a larger role in some countries than in others.