- 20 MAR 2026
The results of the 2025 Health Barometer, prepared by the Ministry of Health and the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), confirm that public opinion on the healthcare system is deeply linked to the performance of each Autonomous Community. In a system where powers are devolved, the report reveals territorial differences in the perception of how the healthcare system functions. Nationally, 51.6% of the population holds a positive view of the public healthcare system. However, this average masks a marked regional disparity: Cantabria leads the way with 66.4% favorable opinions, 14.8 points above the national average. At the other end of the spectrum, Andalusia registers the lowest rate at 38.8%, representing a gap of 27.6 percentage points between the two regions. Regarding Primary Care, the service most used by the population (80.8%), 80.4% of users rate the care received as good or very good. However, the analysis by region reveals a highly heterogeneous distribution. At the top end, Cantabria and the Basque Country stand out, where positive satisfaction levels reach 90%, while at the bottom are Andalusia, Valencia, and especially Galicia, which registers the lowest percentage of satisfaction in the entire country, falling below 73%. This disparity is also reflected in waiting times to see a family doctor. While the national average wait is 9.15 days for those who don't get an appointment the same day or the next, the Basque Country has the shortest wait, at just 4.91 days. Conversely, residents of Andalusia experience the longest wait in the country, averaging 11.16 days, closely followed by Catalonia at 10.59 days. In the area of hospital admissions, the public healthcare system receives a positive rating from 81.4% of patients, with an average score of 7.02 out of 10, solidifying its position as one of the best-rated services within the system. Cantabria leads the rankings in this service with a score of 7.64, followed by Asturias (7.55) and the Basque Country (7.53). Meanwhile, the rating drops to 6.62 in the Canary Islands and the autonomous cities. On the other hand, coordination between primary care services and hospitals is rated favorably by 49.4% of the population nationwide. By region, the Basque Country has the highest approval rating, with 65.8% of citizens approving of communication between levels of care. In contrast, the Canary Islands has the lowest rating in the country, with only 39.6% expressing approval. Regarding emergency services, 48.7% of the Spanish population has used the public network in the last year. Although the care is rated positively by 72.4% of users nationwide, access to this service depends heavily on the organization in each autonomous community. While the Community of Madrid registers the highest use of hospital emergency services in Spain (68.6%), in regions like the Canary Islands and Extremadura, primary care handles the majority of cases (over 55%), relieving pressure on hospitals. As for perceived quality, the 061 and 112 emergency services are the best rated in the system, with a national average score of 7.26 points, with Castilla-La Mancha standing out with a score of 7.90. Meanwhile, hospital emergency services receive their highest ratings in Cantabria and the Basque Country (6.71), compared to the most critical perception in Ceuta (5.05). Regarding mental health, the report reveals that 19.9% of the population (practically one in five people) have needed to consult a professional for a health problem or emotional distress in the last year. Of this group, 51.1% were primarily treated within the public system, where the service receives a positive rating from 56% of its users. On the other hand, despite the territorial variability detected in other indicators, there remains a solid and majority preference for public hospitalization, which would be chosen by 73.9% of citizens compared to 23.9% who would opt for private healthcare. This trust in the public system for the most complex cases has experienced a solid growth of 11 points since 2015, reaffirming that the safety and resources of public hospitals remain the backbone and the preferred option for the Spanish population.