According to a newly released survey, people in Germany are increasingly unhappy with their healthcare system, with only 64% of people generally satisfied with medical care in the country.
That was 16 percentage points lower than in 2020, according to the results from the Human8 Institute, which conducted the survey on behalf of the pharmaceutical company STADA.
The survey was conducted in February and March 2024.
More than two out of three respondents (68%) criticized issues with the allocation of appointments, and a majority of 59% express a general distrust of political decision-makers in the healthcare sector, the survey found.
Overall satisfaction is higher in neighbouring Switzerland (81%) and Austria (72%). Nevertheless, Germany is above the European average in 23 countries, where an average of just 56% of people approve of their respective system.
Around 2,000 people in 23 European countries were surveyed for the STADA Health Report 2024.
German citizens see room for improvement in increased domestic production of medicines instead of imports (64% approval) or better pay for healthcare staff (46%).
As with the European average, 69% of respondents have confidence in conventional medicine, two percentage points less than a year earlier.