Chronic conditions (referred also as longstanding illnesses) are not only the leading causes of death across EU countries, but also reduce the quality of life of people living with such chronic conditions and represent a major disability burden, especially if the conditions are not properly managed. Many chronic conditions are preventable through modifiable risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, malnutrition and obesity.
More than one‑third of adults in the EU (35%) reported living with a longstanding illness or health problem in 2023 (Figure 3.15). The proportion of women reporting a long-standing illness is greater than men in all EU countries except in Ireland and Cyprus where there is no significant gender gap. In the EU as a whole, 37% of women reported having a chronic condition in 2023 compared to 33% of men.
Cross-country comparisons of self-reported chronic conditions can be affected by a different understanding and interpretation of the question in the EU-SILC survey. The proportion of adults reporting having a chronic condition ranges from over one in two in Finland to one in six only in Italy.
As populations age, the prevalence of people reporting having a chronic condition also increases: 60% of people aged over 65 in the EU reported that they had at least one chronic condition in 2023 (61% of women and 59% of men).
Socio-economic disparities in the prevalence of chronic conditions are large. Adults in the lowest income quintile were 50% more likely to report a longstanding illness or health problem compared to those in the highest income quintile. Health systems must be able to provide equal access to high-quality chronic care to meet the needs of all people, regardless of their income and age.
Living with chronic diseases does not necessarily hinder people from carrying on with their usual activities. Nonetheless, 27% of adults in the EU reported in 2023 having at least some or severe activity limitation (disability) due to health problems (Figure 3.16). As is the case for chronic conditions, women more often report a disability (29% of women compared to 24% of men on average in the EU).
The proportion of people reporting a disability increases greatly with age. Over half (52%) of people aged over 65 in the EU reported a disability in 2023 (54% of women and 49% of men). This proportion increases to 75% among people aged over 85 (77% of women and 71% of men).
There are also large disparities in disability by income level. In the EU as a whole, 35% of adults of all ages in the lowest income quintile reported a disability, a rate nearly two‑times higher than among those in the highest income quintile (18%). This large gap can be explained at least partly by the fact that people with disabilities (activity limitations) have lower employment rate and income.
