Public healthcare expenditure and COVID-19 mortality in Spain and in Europe

Elola-Somoza, F. J.; Bas-Villalobos, M. C.; Pérez-Villacastín, J.; Macaya-Miguel, C.

Objective To analyze the association between public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in Europe and Spain. Material and methods Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare and contrast the mortality rate due to COVID-19 between countries and autonomous communities with higher and lower public health expenditure per capita than the mean. Results No correlation between the public health expenditure per capita and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 (r: 0.3; p = 0.14) was found among European countries or Spain's Autonomous Communities (r: 0.03; p = 0.91). No significant differences were found when comparing the mortality rate due to COVID-19 among the public health expenditure per capita groups. Conclusions The available evidence does not support association between «low» public healthcare expenditure and the poor outcomes observed in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased funding for the Spanish National Health System should be earmarked for structural reforms to increase its social efficiency.