File photo for representation.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar has once again secured its place among the world’s top 20 countries for healthcare, according to the latest Health Care Index 2026 released by Numbeo, a crowdsourced global resource for quality of life data.
The rankings show that Qatar remains in 18th position in 2026, maintaining the same rank as in 2025. However, the country recorded a slight improvement in its overall score, which increased from 73.4 to 73.6, reflecting continued progress in the quality of its healthcare system.
Qatar’s healthcare system has recorded major strides in capacity, workforce growth, and service quality in recent years, reinforcing the country’s commitment to accessible, high-quality, and inclusive healthcare for all. Significant investments have been made in hospital infrastructure, human resources, preventive care, food safety, and international accreditation, positioning Qatar among the leading healthcare systems globally.
Notably, Qatar is the only country from the Middle East and Africa region to feature within the top 20 of the index, which evaluates 100 countries worldwide. This distinction highlights Qatar’s strong performance compared to both regional and global peers.
According to Numbeo, decimal variations in scores play a role in determining country rankings, meaning even small improvements can influence a nation’s position on the global list.
The top three positions in the Health Care Index 2026 are held by Taiwan (86.5), South Korea (82.8), and Japan (80.0).
Among neighbouring countries, the United Arab Emirates ranked 28th with 70.8 points; Oman ranked 53rd with 62.2 points; Saudi Arabia also placed 53rd with 62.2 points; and Kuwait ranked 66th with 58.6 points.
The Health Care Index assesses the overall quality of healthcare systems by considering several key factors, including the availability and competence of medical professionals, healthcare staff and doctors, medical equipment, and associated costs. The index provides a broad evaluation of healthcare infrastructure, services, and resources available in each country.
In the Health Care Expenditure Index 2026, Qatar ranked 19th with 134.2 points, once again making it the only country in the Middle East and Africa region to be among the top 20 countries. The index evaluates 100 countries. The Health Care Expenditure Index is designed to reflect the quality of a healthcare system with greater emphasis on positive aspects through an exponential scale, while also amplifying the impact of negative aspects.
Numbeo has emphasised that its Health Care Index and Health Care Expenditure Index are based on user-contributed data and public perceptions, which may vary and be subject to bias. Despite this limitation, the index remains a widely used comparative tool for assessing healthcare systems across countries, offering valuable insights into global healthcare standards.
