Healthcare in Italy

Italy's healthcare system is one of the best in the world. The Italian healthcare system employs a Beveridge model. The principle is that health care is a human right that should be provided to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Life expectancy is the 4th highest among OECD countries (83.4 years in 2018) and the world's 8th highest according to the WHO (82.8 years in 2018). Healthcare spending accounted for 9.7% of GDP in 2020.

The Italian state has run a universal public healthcare system since 1978. The public part is the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, which is organised under the Ministry of Health. It is run on a devolved regional basis because of the 2001 Italian constitutional referendum.

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