In the country characterized by the “best health care in the world”, as you often hear repeating politicians on TV, it happens that almost One in ten Italians (9.9%) renounces to visits or exams specialist.
The data emerges from Annual Istat Report 2025which reports a progressive worsening of access to health services compared to previous years.
Private performance increase
The main reasons for the renunciation are two: the long ones waiting lists (6.8% of the population) and economic difficulties (5.3%). Both values are growing compared to 2023, when they stood at 4.5% respectively and 4.2%.
In parallel, the appeal of citizens to private health grows: 23.9% of Italians incurred the entire cost of the last specialist performance, without reimbursements by insurance. In 2023 it was 19.9%. An increase that confirms the strengthening of “double speed” healthcare, where who can Allow it to seek shortcuts in the private sector, while those who cannot give up.
More penalized women
The renunciation of the care affects in a inequal way:
- Women are the most affected (11.4% against 8.3% of men);
- The gender gap is maximum in the 25-34 year band (12.5% against 7.1%);
- The most penalized age class is between 45 and 54 years old, where the renunciation affects 13.4%, going up to 15.6% among women.
With increasing age, the waiting lists become the main cause, while in adult bands the combination between costs and waiting times weighs more.
Nord worsens, south stable
In 2024 the phenomenon struck:
- 9.2% of residents in the North;
- 10.7% in the center;
- 10.3% in the South;
The territorial gap was reduced to 2019, which might seem positive. In reality, convergence is due to a worsening In the Northwhere the share of renunciation is almost double compared to 2019 (it was 5.1%).
The motivations change from area to area: the waiting lists prevail at the center-north, while in the South they affect in equal measure waiting lists and economic difficulties.
More education, less renunciations
The level of education is another discriminating factor since people with low study title give more care for care. The phenomenon is more evident among over 65: 5.2% of the least educated people have given up for economic reasons, against only 2% of the most educated. When the renunciation is caused by the waiting lists, the gap concerns the elderly in particular.
The state of health in Italy
The Istat report underlines how the phenomenon of renunciation has increased constantly after the Covid-19 pandemic, involving traditionally less exposed population bands, such as northern residents and people with a high level of education.
To complete the picture, we remember how the phenomenon of health mobility has been known for years, which forces about 670,000 patients to move from one region to another (traditionally from the South to the north or abroad) to access the case. The cost for the national health service is almost 3 billion euros.
We add a further piece: the latest Gimbe report highlighted how the expenditure for the prevention fell of the -18% (we speak of 1,933 million less).
Italian patients remain a single consolation, however lean: last August, the last Bloomberg’s Global Health Index delivered the silver medal to Italy, after Spain, in the ranking of the healthiest countries in the world. To contribute to national well -being is that Mediterranean diet never quite praised: the Italian diet – it is written – “emphasizes on the fresh local ingredients, which contributes to the health of the population”.
