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% Waiting > 1 Day

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Health Care Wait Times by Country 2024

One of the most critical measures of the quality of a country's health care system is how long patients have to wait to access medical care. But the question of which countries have the shortest wait times is complicated by the different ways that countries measure wait time and the differences in the health care systems of various countries. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) measured wait times in several countries, specifically:

  • The share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor's office.
  • The share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment.
  • How long a patient has to wait to get "elective" or non-emergency procedures such as cataract surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement.

Are health care wait times longer in countries with universal health care than in the United States?

A common misconception in the U.S. is that countries with universal health care have much longer wait times. However, data from nations with universal coverage, coupled with historical data from coverage expansion in the United States, show that patients in other nations often have similar or shorter wait times.

The U.S. was on the higher side for the share of people who sometimes, rarely, or never get an answer from their regular doctor on the same day at 28%. Canada had the highest at 33% and Switzerland had the lowest at 12%. The U.S. was towards the lower end for the share of people waiting one month or more for a specialist appointment at 27%. Canada and Norway tied for the highest at 61% each and Switzerland had the lowest at 23%.

Country
% Waiting > 1 Day
% Waiting > 1 Month (Specialist)
Median Days Wait - Cataract Surgery
Median Days Wait Hip Replacement
Median Days Wait - Knee Replacement
Canada33%61%66105122
United States28%27%
Sweden24%52%517590
Norway22%61%132123152
United Kingdom21%41%659298
New Zealand17%48%828189
France14%36%
Australia14%39%84119209
Germany13%25%
Netherlands13%25%
Switzerland12%23%
Italy0%0%245042
Spain0%0%74118147
Poland0%0%246179253
Chile0%0%97240839
Portugal0%0%119126204
Hungary0%0%364385
Israel0%0%775685
Denmark0%0%363544
Finland0%0%977799
Estonia0%0%187282461

What countries have the shortest wait times for healthcare?

Wait times are procedure-dependent. Generally, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany have the shortest wait times for healthcare, with 88%, 87%, and 87% of residents, respectively, being seen in one day or less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources