Δαπάνες υγείας και γήρανση του πληθυσμού στην Ελλάδα

Abstract

This study investigates the development of health expenses in Greece in the last decades, as well as the factors that justify this development. In the past few years there is growing concern about the future pressure that the phenomenon of ageing populations will exert on national budgets, and consequently on health systems, as a result of internationally prevailing demographic developments. For this reason, the governments of many countries turn to researching ways of controlling and withholding the rate of health expenses increase. The main purpose on this study is to present the percentage of how basic age-related groups contribute to the total health expense from the 70’s and on. Moreover, projections until year 2050 were attempted in order to answer whether and to what degree the expected increase of elderly will influence of health expenditure. Data on the distribution of Greek population were retrieved from the database of Eurostat. Since there is a the lack of data that concerns at age distribution of health expenditure in our country, the calculation of three profile of age-related expense scenarios was attempted, based on the international bibliography. The analysis revealed that ageing individuals will continually absorb more health resources.