Universal health care is a term that is used to describe health care that is available to a large portion of the population. Through government initiatives, regulation, and taxation, many countries around the world offer health care to more than 90% of their citizens. Not only does this provide most citizens with health care, but the governments of each country also regulate the health care system to ensure that the care given is sufficient and that taking advantage of this care does not provide a financial hardship to citizens.
In some cases, health care through universal health care programs is free or very low cost to all citizens, regardless of their income. However, this is not always the case.
There are many countries that have universal health care policies in place. Those nations include:
- Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria
- Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso
- Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Ecuador, Eritrea, Estonia
- Fiji, Finland, France
- Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guernsey, Guyana
- Hong Kong, Hungary
- Iceland, Iran, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy
- Jamaica, Japan, Jersey
- Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait
- Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
- Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro
- Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue
- Oman
- Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania, Russia, Rwanda
- Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland
- Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu
- Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu, Venezuela
- Zambia
The nations that offer free or very low cost healthcare to all of its citizens include:
- Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan
- Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti
- Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia
- Fiji, Finland, France
- Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guyana
- Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary
- Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy
- Jamaica, Japan, Jersey
- Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
- Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
- Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar
- Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, North Korea, Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania, Russia, Rwanda
- Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Servia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Sao Tome and Principe
- Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu
- Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia