In 2025, the year starts with a widespread rise in health insurance prices. The increase will vary depending on each insurer and the health of each patient, but it will be around 10%, according to sources in the sector consulted.
Starting next month, the customer will have to pay a higher price for receiving the same service. It happened last year, and the year before, and the year before that... According to the INE, in 2023, the average expenditure per person on health insurance reached 512 euros, compared to 490 euros the previous year. Insurance companies have been raising premiums for a decade, and this time, the increase will be noticeably above the average inflation rate, which is around 2%.
The sector predicts a double-digit average increase in health insurance prices
The causes of the premium increase are multifactorial, and insurance companies staunchly defend their decision. “The consumption of medical services by clients has risen by more than 6 percentage points in the last year, which amounts to millions of euros in payments to hospitals and healthcare services,” argue sources from the insurance company DKV, which will raise prices by around 12% next year.
By Asisa's spokesperson, who does not specify the percentage of the increase, it is noted that the increase is necessary, as “health insurance in Spain has had a clear profitability problem for years.”
According to these insurers, the lack of profitability (and the consequent rise in prices) is explained by an aging population - who are visiting the doctor more frequently - the incorporation of new, more expensive technologies, the increase in infrastructure costs, the concentration of hospital companies - which push up the prices of consultations and tests - and the pressure from the healthcare sector for an increase in fees. According to a report by AON, “2025 Global Medical Trend Rates Report,” the average costs of medical plans in Spain will increase by an average of 8% in 2025.
Other underlying causes affecting the sector include the increasing number of clients being incorporated through collective mutual societies by companies. “There is a growing acceptance of health insurance as a form of payment in kind. It is one of the most valued social benefits among the staff,” certify from the business association Unespa.
According to ICEA's calculations, commissioned by Unespa, a total of 12.4 million people had private insurance in 2023, representing almost 26% of the total population. This figure has only been increasing. Ten years ago, 8.9 million people were insured, which accounted for 19% of the total Spanish population. In Catalonia, the numbers are even higher, with 34% of the total population insured at present.
Around 12.4 million people have health insurance in Spain, which represents 26% of the total population
In addition, Asisa points out that profitability has declined because new competitors have entered the market, pushing prices down with low-cost fares. However, for the moment, the market is divided among a few companies: SegurCaixa Adeslas, with a market share of 28.5%; Sanitas (16.5%); Asisa (12.6%); DKV (7.5%); Mapfre (6.6%); and a dozen more companies with market shares below 2%, according to ICEA.
Looking ahead, the sector is concerned about whether the Government will ultimately decide to lift the current exemption that private health insurance has from the insurance premium tax, which applies an 8% rate to other products (such as automobile, home, etc.). “Imposing an 8% IPT on private health insurance would lead to a decrease in the number of people taking out this type of insurance, and therefore an increase in demand for healthcare services from the Public Health Service,” they warn.
