As the world enters its third year of the coronavirus pandemic, having access to a strong healthcare system is as important as ever. Medical care can vary widely between countries – when you become an expat or a digital nomad, it’s something you quickly get to know – but which countries are graced with the best healthcare in the world? Read on to find out the countries with the most well-developed healthcare systems globally.

When you are becoming an expat or moving abroad to work remotely as a digital nomad, access to healthcare will be one of the biggest factors in your choice of country.

Countries around the world apply different approaches to provide public medical care. Some rely on government support, as in a single-payer approach. Other nations depend on private insurers. A third group of countries, such as the United States, have a mixture of both. The quality and efficiency of a country’s healthcare system can have a massive impact on its citizens’ quality of life.

Healthcare is a global industry encompassing both physical and mental health. It covers a range of functions, from the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, illness and injury, to long-term recovery. According to the World Health Organization, a well-functioning healthcare system requires a steady financing mechanism, a properly-trained and adequately-paid workforce, well-maintained facilities, and access to reliable information to base decisions on. Healthcare is a costly item in national budgets, but who gets the best value for money, and who gets the best outcomes?

The World Health Organization’s last global report ranked these as the 10 most advanced countries in medicine with the best healthcare in the world:

1. France
2. Italy
3. San Marino
4. Andorra
5. Malta
6. Singapore
7. Spain
8. Oman
9. Austria
10. Japan

Source: World Health Organization, Measuring Overall Health System Performance for 191 Countries

Since this ranking, which analyses health system efficiency, other studies have produced slightly different lists.

Here, we take a closer look at some countries with the world’s best medical care and how their approaches differ. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Western European countries top a list of nations seen to have best healthcare in the world.

The following 10 countries have been seen as providing the best healthcare for their population. We look at how citizens pay for healthcare around the world, whether it is universal or patients require health insurance, and the general standard of care they receive.

France has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, characterised by universal coverage and government organisation. Statutory health insurance (SHI) was expanded to cover every citizen in 2000. Out-of-pocket payments are common for doctor’s appointments, but the government usually refunds most fees.

Ranked on top by the World Health Organization’s mammoth study, France also scores well for health outcomes. This gives the European nation an edge for advancement as well as accessibility. Having some of the highest quality medical care in the world helps to give France the lowest levels of cardiovascular mortality in the OEDC.

Germany is widely recognised as a country with some of the best healthcare in the world. This country is also one of the most medically advanced in the world, thanks to a high proportion of the world’s best medical technology universities.

In Europe-wide medical care surveys, Germany has often come in among the 15 best countries. According to the Commonwealth Fund, it performs especially well for access – its mixed public-private system, funded by statutory contributions, keeps costs and waiting times low.

The World Health Organization’s global study gave Singapore the highest rank outside of Europe – it’s one of many countries in Asia with great healthcare.

Singapore’s healthcare is prized for its efficiency and financed through a mixed system. MediShield Life is a form of statutory public health insurance designed to cover large bills. Out-of-pocket payments are common, but other systems – MediSave and MediFund – help Singaporeans to pay for these.

A 2017 Commonwealth Fund report places the United Kingdom at the top for healthcare system performance – care process and equity are its strong suits. However, against European rivals, the country fares less well, due in part to limited accessibility. 

The United Kingdom has a universal, government-run system – it’s a country with among the world’s best free healthcare. Despite this, 10.5% of the population takes out private health insurance for more rapid access to elective care.

The Commonwealth Fund’s 2017 study gives Australia the second-highest health system performance score – these measure care process, access, efficiency, equity and health outcomes.

Australia comes top for health outcomes, in fact. The universal Medicare system has covered the cost of public hospital stays and some other services since 1986, but outside of hospital, co-payments are common. Still, countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany have more equitable healthcare than Australia, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

The United Arab Emirates’ medical system fell into the global spotlight due to the country’s fast COVID-19 vaccine rollout in early 2021. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that the UAE enjoys some of the best healthcare in the world and best medical care in the Middle East and Asia.

Healthcare is comprehensive for Emiratis and mostly government-funded, but the private sector is growing rapidly too. State-of-the-art hospitals and clinics are continually popping up, especially in Dubai.

Do you know how much health treatment can cost away from home?

The Dutch medical care system is a strong performer on the world stage – the Commonwealth Fund has ranked The Netherlands third among wealthy countries, and it came in second in the Euro Health Consumer Index 2017.

All adults are required to purchase basic insurance – and can be fined if they don’t. Employer payments and taxes also help to finance healthcare in the Netherlands. The country is a strong performer in mental health – many GP practices employ primary care psychologists. In our recent research study, we asked over 1,100 expats worldwide about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their mental health. 38% felt the quality of their mental health has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also only 10% of respondents said they felt “confident” about the professional mental health resources available in the country where they live and work.

Coming in tenth place in the World Health Organization’s global study, Japan enjoys a high standard of healthcare that helps the country to achieve enviable life expectancies. The statutory health insurance system (SHIS) covers more than 98% of Japan’s population, while a separate system for those in poverty picks up the rest, proving itself as one of the countries with best healthcare in the world.

Japan’s statutory health insurance covers the vast majority of treatments, including mental health care, hospice care and most dental care. The idea of general practice is a recent one – most healthcare happens in privately-owned specialist clinics.

Along with other innovative nations such as the USA, Luxembourg is often mentioned in lists of the most medically advanced countries. It’s a country that’s home to a large health technology sector that, together with its tech-literate population, makes eHealth development a priority.

Luxembourg comes 16th place in the World Health Organization’s efficiency rankings and 7th in the Euro Health Consumer Index 2018. It’s also one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, which helps – 5.44% of all employees’ gross income is deducted for healthcare.