Comparative analysis of healthcare financing in Croatia compared to EU member states

Sanja Pešić

1 , Mirko Pešić

2 Sanja Pešić

1 , Mirko Pešić

2

Affiliations

1. Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Crkvena Street 21, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
2. Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Affiliations

1. Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Crkvena Street 21, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
2. Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the financing of the Croatian healthcare system in comparison with the European Union average. The main indicators selected for analysis are total healthcare expenditure, per capita expenditure, and expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. The analysis was conducted based on Eurostat data for 27 European Union member states during the period from 2015 to 2022, employing descriptive statistical methods, comparative analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Tukey HSD post-hoc test, correlation analysis, and compound annual growth rate (CAGR) analysis. The findings indicate that Croatia is below the EU average across all key indicators. Total expenditure and per capita expenditure in Croatia are significantly lower than the European average, as is the share of healthcare expenditure in GDP. ANOVA analysis confirmed statistically significant differences among groups of countries, with Croatia being classified into the group of countries with lower healthcare expenditure. Although Croatia records faster growth in healthcare spending than the EU average, it starts from a lower base of allocations, which maintains the gap with more developed member states. The results emphasize the need for reforms aimed at increasing the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare financing in Croatia.

Keywords: healthcare financing, health expenditure, financing efficiency

Abstract

Summary: The aim of this paper is to examine the financing of the Croatian healthcare system in comparison with the European Union average. The main indicators selected for analysis are total healthcare expenditure, per capita expenditure, and expenditure expressed as a share of GDP. The analysis is based on Eurostat data for the 27 EU member states covering the period from 2015 to 2022, and applies descriptive statistical methods, comparative analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Tukey HSD post-hoc test, correlation analysis, and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) analysis. The findings indicate that Croatia falls below the EU average across all key indicators. Both total expenditure and per capita expenditure are considerably lower than the European average, as is the proportion of healthcare spending in GDP. The ANOVA results confirmed statistically significant differences between groups of countries, with Croatia classified among those with lower levels of healthcare expenditure. Although Croatia has recorded faster growth in healthcare spending than the EU average, it starts from a lower base, thereby maintaining the gap with more developed member states. The results highlight the need for reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare financing in Croatia.