What people want out of end-of-life care: Is the social contract failing?
24 September 2025
| Journal article
Overview
End-of-life care embodies the social contract in its most essential form, yet inequalities in access, quality, and care setting persist across and within countries. Despite rising needs driven by population ageing and increasing chronic diseases, many people – especially those facing socioeconomic hardship – lack adequate care in their final months. Using data from 28 European countries, this article highlights disparities in who receives care, where care occurs, and what kind of care is delivered. Emerging challenges are explored, including assisted dying and workforce shortages. Addressing these inequalities is essential to rebuilding a fairer, more compassionate and equitable end-of-life care system for all.
WHO Team
European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Editors
Paola Sillitti, Dheepa Rajan, Julien Carretier, Oriane Bodson and Giovanna Marsico
Copyright
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO