Breast cancer screening in the EU: a snapshot
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the EU, and screening and other preventive measures are essential to lowering the impact of the disease and reducing mortality rates.
In 2024, Denmark (82.1%), Sweden (82.0%) and Finland (81.6%) recorded the highest breast cancer screening rates among women aged 50 to 69 years who had undergone mammography within the previous 2 years. Slovenia (77.8%) and Ireland (71.2%) followed closely.
At the other end of the range, Hungary (27.2%), Cyprus (29.2%), Poland (33.8%), Latvia (38.2%) and Austria (41.3%) had the lowest breast cancer screening rates.
Compared with 2019, breast cancer screening rates rose in 9 EU countries with available data, with the largest increases observed in Slovakia (+12.5 percentage points (pp)), Croatia (+10.0 pp) and Estonia (+9.9 pp). In Sweden and Finland, rates were unchanged; in the other 11 EU countries, rates fell, from -0.4 pp in Ireland to -21.8 pp in Malta.
Source dataset: hlth_ps_prev
Highest availability of mammography units per 100 000 inhabitants: Greece and Cyprus
Among EU countries with available data, Greece (7.6 units) and Cyprus (6.9) recorded the highest availability of mammography units (machines designed exclusively for taking mammograms) per 100 000 inhabitants, followed by Italy (3.7). By contrast, Poland, Czechia, Sweden and Romania had the lowest availability, at 1.1 units per 100 000 inhabitants.
Compared with 2019, the number of mammography units per100 000 inhabitants rose in 10 EU countries, most notably in Cyprus (+1.3 units), and fell in 4, including Sweden (-0.8 units) and Malta (-0.7). In the other 6 countries, availability was unchanged.
Source dataset: hlth_rs_medim
This news item marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international health campaign held every October that promotes screening and aims to reduce disease risk.
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on cancer screening statistics
- Statistics Explained article on technical resources and medical technology
- Thematic section on health
- Database on health
Methodological notes
Breast cancer screening rates:
- Data for breast cancer screening rates are administrative data from breast cancer screening programmes. These administrative data are based on national cancer screening programmes. Data are therefore not available for all countries because some countries do not have official screening programmes, screening may be carried out by general practitioners, or countries may not be able to collect programme data.
- The rate shown is the share of women aged 50 to 69 years who have undergone mammography within the previous 2 years (or according to the screening frequency recommended in each country; please note that some changes may have taken place at national level during the period). This is shown as a share of women eligible for an organised screening programme. In Sweden, programmes cover women aged 40-74.
- Data for Bulgaria and Romania are not available because there is no national screening programme for breast cancer.
- Data for Greece are not available.
Mammography units:
- Data for Germany, Ireland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Portugal are not available for 2019 and 2024.
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