Living in the EU : education and health

Abstract

The European Union complements national health and education policies, in particular those with a cross-border dimension. The main responsibility for health and education, however, lies with the governments of its Member States. This combination explains the spread in government expenditure on national welfare policies among the Member States, and in particular in individual direct payments for health. In terms of the gender gap in the area, women with tertiary education still suffer employment gaps. Moreover, national differences in the number of hospital beds available and people suffering from obesity, mainly concentrated among elderly people, also stand out.