Press Release 15/10/2020

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE STATISTICS. 2019

Almost 475,000 people had private health insurance with companies that have branches in the Basque Country in 2019

The number of premiums rose to 344 million in 2019, with an increase of 4.7% in respect of 2017

In 2019 a total of 474,462 people residing in the Basque Country had private health insurance with companies established in the Basque Country, according to Eustat data. This figure represented an increase of 9% in relation to the 2017 tax year.

By province, 69.7% of people with private health insurance resided in Bizkaia, 18.9% in Gipuzkoa and 11.4% in Álava. As regards the sex of the population with this coverage, women attained 53.2% and men the remaining 46.8%. Insured individuals were concentrated in the 45-64 and 25-44 age groups, 32.5% and 28% of respectively, with a female majority in these groups, as well in the 65 and over age groups.

Companies offering private healthcare services took in 343.9 million euros' worth of premiums, which was an increase of 4.7% compared to 2017, this figure representing 0.45% of GDP in 2019. By province, 71.8% of premiums were in Bizkaia, 17.9% in Gipuzkoa and 10.3% in Álava.

Taking into account the type of insurance taken out, 50% of premiums corresponded to group insurance schemes, 42.3% were individual or family insurance policies and 7.7% belonged to public mutual societies for civil servants. Compared to 2017, group insurance schemes saw the highest increase (8.4%), followed by those corresponding to public mutual societies for civil servants (1.8%) and, finally, individual or family insurance policies, with an increase of 1%.

Private healthcare provision in the Basque Country was characterised in 2019 by the significant weight of commercial entities, which covered 99% of the insured population.

Methodological note: These statistics contain information from health insurance organisations that have at least one establishment in the Basque Country. They do not include Voluntary Social Welfare Entities since they are not insurance-related.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62