The perceived financial burden of medical care in Malta is higher than the European Union average, data released by Eurostat shows. 

A total of 14.6% of Maltese polled for the year 2017 said medical care was a high financial burden, while 56.6% said medical care was somewhat of a financial burden and 28.7% said it was no burden. 

The EU averages for these three categories was 11.2%, 33.9% and 54.9% respectively. 

At EU level, the perceived financial burden of medical care was greatest for those living in two-person households where at least one person was aged 65 years or more. 

Medical care refers to individual health care services such as examinations or treatments. 

The cost of dental care, which was treated as a separate category, saw Malta feature just above the EU average. 

15.6% of Maltese perceived medicine as costly

An average of 16.9% of EU citizens said dental care was perceived as a high financial burden, whereas 17.6% of Maltese found sitting in the dentist’s chair costly. 

A further 55.8% of Maltese perceived dental care to be somewhat of a financial burden and 26.6% said they felt no pinch on their pockets. 

The perceived burden of paying for medicines, another separate category polled by Eurostat, found that 15.6% of Maltese perceived medicine as costly, 54.3% as somewhat costly and 30% felt no burden. 

At the EU level, 13% found paying for medicine a heavy financial burden on the household, 39% reported that these costs represented some financial burden and just under half declared that paying for medicines brought no financial burden to the household.