Palliative Care Services in Europe: A Mixed Bag
Portugal surpasses EU standard for palliative care provision.
European countries exhibit a wide range in the availability of palliative care services. As revealed in the Atlas of Palliative Care in Europe 2025, the number of services per 100,000 inhabitants varies significantly, with some countries boasting impressive rates:
- Austria boasts 3.68 palliative care services per 100,000 inhabitants, topping the list.
- Lithuania follows closely behind with 2.51 services.
- Switzerland offers 2.10 services, while Sweden provides 1.90 services[1].
The European Union average hovers around 0.96 services per 100,000 inhabitants[1].
Portugal's Palliative Care Landscape
Despite Portugal's relatively decent rate of 1.41 palliative care services per 100,000 inhabitants, the Portuguese Association of Palliative Care (APCP) highlights challenges. There are roughly 150 specialist palliative care services in Portugal[1].
- Team Scarcity: Despite the higher-than-average rate, Portugal faces an issue with the scarcity of palliative care teams, affecting the quality and timeliness of care[1].
- Insufficient Resources: The APCP stresses that resources fall short of the minimum required to ensure quality and timely palliative care[1].
- European Disparities: Across Europe, there's a significant disparity in the availability of palliative care services. Few countries approach the recommended rate of two services per 100,000 inhabitants[1].
- Education & Training: Almost 60% of European countries lack adequate palliative care education in medical and nursing schools, which can impact the quality and availability of care[2].
Addressing these challenges will be essential in improving the state of palliative care across Europe, including Portugal.
[1] Source: Palliative Care Atlas 2025[2] Source: Global Observatory of Palliative Care Atlantes, University of Navarra (Spain), and European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC)
- The Atlas of Palliative Care in Europe 2025 reveals a significant difference in the number of palliative care services among European countries, with Portugal having 1.41 services per 100,000 inhabitants.
- Portugal's palliative care landscape faces challenges, such as scarce palliative care teams, insufficient resources, and educational gaps in medical and nursing schools, as highlighted by the Portuguese Association of Palliative Care (APCP).
- The APCP's observations suggest that there is a considerable disparity in the availability of palliative care services across Europe, as few countries meet the recommended rate of two services per 100,000 inhabitants.
- Improving the state of palliative care across Europe, including Portugal, will necessitate addressing these challenges, such as team scarcity, insufficient resources, and inadequate education and training.
