The UK scores higher than each of 18 popular holiday destinations on the World Health Organization’s universal health coverage index, according to an analysis by the travel insurer Holidaysafe. The index and service capacity values Holidaysafe quoted match the WHO’s Global Health Observatory (GHO) data, and all are for 2023.
The WHO’s UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG indicator 3.8.1) is described by the WHO as the average coverage of essential services, reported on a scale from 0 to 100 and calculated as the weighted geometric mean of 14 tracer indicators. Holidaysafe said the index covers four areas: reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health; infectious diseases; noncommunicable diseases; and service capacity and access.
What the scores show
The UK scored 88 in 2023. Among the destinations, Spain and the United Arab Emirates scored highest at 84, followed by Portugal (83), France, Italy and Thailand (all 82) and Mexico (79). Greece and Türkiye scored 77, Cyprus 76, Jamaica and South Africa 74, the Dominican Republic 73, Egypt and Vietnam 71, India 69, Indonesia 67 and Morocco 65.
Holidaysafe said Morocco and Indonesia scored lowest. The WHO’s published values for the destinations match its figures.
Service capacity and access
The sub-score that Holidaysafe highlighted looks at the strength of a health system, including hospital beds and the health workforce. Morocco scored 43 in 2023, against 98 for the UK, according to the WHO’s service capacity and access indicator. Holidaysafe said the Dominican Republic (54), Egypt (60), Vietnam (61) and Jamaica (63) also rank significantly below the UK. The WHO values for each of those countries are the same.
The United Arab Emirates, at 99, was the only destination above the UK’s 98 on this measure, Holidaysafe said. The GHO data shows the same figure.
Holidaysafe said the scores reflect healthcare for people who live in each country, rather than the care a tourist will receive. In its notes, it said the index is not a rating of tourist healthcare, emergency response times, treatment costs or clinical outcomes, and that differences are index points, not percentages. It also said the destinations were chosen for breadth and recognisability as holiday destinations, not by visitor numbers.
What FCDO advice says
Holidaysafe set the WHO figures against the health pages of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which it said it checked on 29 September 2026 and did not convert into scores.
On Thailand, the FCDO says: “All hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients.” It also says private hospitals are “of a high standard but can be expensive” and that public hospitals and clinics “do not always meet UK standards, particularly outside Bangkok”. Thailand scored 82 on the index and 85 on service capacity.
On the Dominican Republic, the FCDO says public medical facilities are “generally limited”, private hospitals offer good standards of care “although they can be expensive”, and the 911 emergency number “does not have full coverage across the country”.
On Spain, the FCDO says that in some tourist areas “there may not be any public healthcare facilities nearby” and that a GHIC or EHIC will not be accepted at the private hospitals to which hotels may send patients.
The FCDO’s page for Morocco says public health facilities provide limited medical care and private clinics operate to a higher standard. It tells travellers to have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover treatment and repatriation.
Other pages differ in emphasis. The FCDO’s advice for the United Arab Emirates says facilities are similar to those in the UK but that travellers may be refused treatment without insurance or the means to pay, and may be prevented from leaving if they cannot pay a medical bill. The Jamaica page says doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment. The Mexico page says some hospitals may not bill insurers directly, so travellers may have to pay upfront and claim a refund.
Comment from Holidaysafe
Amber Moon, travel expert at Holidaysafe, said a country’s healthcare score is only the starting point. “Many of us wouldn’t consider where the nearest hospital is when we’re booking a holiday, but it’s one of the most important things to know before you go. In the UK, we’re used to walking into A&E without being asked how we’ll pay, but that isn’t the case everywhere. In some popular destinations, hospitals will want a guarantee of payment before they treat you, and that’s not something you want to be thinking about in a medical emergency.
“Where you’re staying matters, no matter what country you’re visiting. The care available in a big city could be very different to what’s on offer in a resort or a rural area, for instance, and while a Global Health Insurance Card is great to have for European trips, it won’t get you home, so it’s no replacement for travel insurance.”
The GHIC and what it covers
Holidaysafe said a GHIC or EHIC can help eligible travellers access medically necessary state healthcare in Europe, but is not accepted by private hospitals and does not cover repatriation. The FCDO’s pages for Portugal, Italy and Cyprus say the card covers medically necessary state healthcare but not private clinics. The FCDO says on its Greece page that a GHIC or EHIC “is not an alternative to travel insurance”. Its Türkiye page says UK health cards are not valid there.
Holidaysafe’s other advice was to check the FCDO health page for the destination before booking, find out where the nearest public or private hospital is, confirm that a travel insurance policy covers treatment and repatriation, and save the insurer’s 24-hour assistance number in a phone.