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WHO–World Bank: 4.6 billion people lack essential health services
The 2025 monitoring report finds progress in service coverage but continued financial hardship for billions.
Event / data period: 2025-12-06
Published: · Updated:
IllustrationWHO–World Bank estimated 4.6 billion lacked essential services in 2023; 2.1 billion faced health-cost hardship in 2022.
The service-coverage index rose from 54 in 2000 to 71 in 2023; reference periods differ.
Data
Universal health coverage indicators
Service access and financial protection measures in the 2025 report.
- Lacking essential service coverage
- 4.6 billion people
- 2023 · Estimate
- Financial hardship from out-of-pocket health costs
- 2.1 billion people
- 2022 · Estimate
- Service Coverage Index
- 71 index points
- 2023 · Estimate
Methodology
Updated indicators with distinct reference years are kept separate.
Updated: