Convergence of European healthcare systems: a cluster analysis

Abstract

This paper examines whether European healthcare systems can be meaningfully grouped into distinct clusters based on institutional characteristics and health outcomes. To address this question, we conduct a cluster analysis of 26 European countries over the period 2001-2021. The findings provide limited empirical support for the conventional classification into Nordic, Continental, and Liberal models within the healthcare domain, both in terms of institutional features and health outcomes. Rather, most Western European countries cluster together, while a distinct and robust cluster of Eastern European countries clearly emerges.