According to the Sustainable Health Index, developed by the Nova Information Management School (Nova IMS), nearly half of Portuguese citizens (46%) missed at least one day of work in 2024 due to health reasons, with 10.8% being absent for more than 20 days (compared to 6% in 2023).
Nonetheless, healthcare provided by the SNS (National Health Service) helped prevent a two-day labor absence, resulting in a savings of one billion euros.
The care delivered through the SNS also prevented the loss of 10.3 working days per person, translating into additional savings of 5.3 billion euros.
Altogether, considering the impact on absenteeism and productivity, the SNS enabled overall savings of 6.3 billion euros in salaries.
Taking into account the savings related to salaries and the productivity/wage ratio (reference values from INE), the study concludes that services provided by the SNS allowed a return to the economy of 9.5 billion euros.
In statements to Lusa, the study coordinator, Pedro Simões Coelho, explained: “There was a slight decrease in the impact on absenteeism (…) and a very significant growth in the impact on productivity. Overall, the effect of the SNS on the economy has been increasing, mainly through presenteeism.”
“Why? It is related to the post-Covid phenomenon, which has led to more flexible work management, often allowing remote work. In recent years, the SNS has contributed less to people being absent from work, but more to maintaining their productivity by preventing deterioration in their health and well-being,” he explained.
The study data indicate that the majority of Portuguese (74%) consider their health status as “good” or “very good.” When asked on a scale from 0 to 100, Portuguese citizens rated their health status at 75. Without the SNS’s contribution, this rating would be only 66.6, demonstrating an 8.4-point gain directly attributed to the care provided.
The results will be presented today at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon.
