Gimbe: 18.8 billion euros in invisible cuts to the National Health Service

The ninth Gimbe Report, dated 7 October 2026 and presented today at the Chamber of Deputies, estimates at 18.8 billion euros the so-called “invisible cuts” to the National Health Service in the 2023-2026 period: the difference between the funding actually allocated and what the Ssn would have received had the ratio between the National Health Fund and GDP recorded in 2022 been kept constant.

The National Health Fund rose, according to the report, from 125.4 billion euros in 2022 to 142.9 billion euros in 2026 — an increase in absolute terms that nonetheless failed to keep pace with overall economic growth, as shown by the share of GDP:

Year	National Health Fund	Share of GDP
2022	125.4 billion euros	6.27%
2026	142.9 billion euros	6.14%

The share of the National Health Fund in GDP in fact falls from 6.27% in 2022 to 6.14% in 2026, a decline that the Gimbe Foundation translates into the figure of 18.8 billion euros in missed funding compared to maintaining the previous ratio.

The report also looks at the years ahead: for the 2027-2029 three-year period Gimbe estimates a gap of 32.3 billion euros between projected funding and health spending projections, a wider gap than the one already calculated for the 2023-2026 period.

The Gimbe Report is an independent source that compiles data on the funding and spending of the National Health Service; the presentation at the Chamber of Deputies places the analysis within the public debate on the upcoming budget measures concerning health care. The figures — from the National Health Fund to the share of GDP, up to the gap projected for 2027-2029 — remain those released today by the Foundation.