LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between public health expenditure per capita (PHEpc) and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 (MR-COVID-19) in Europe and Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare and contrast MR-COVID-19 between countries and autonomous communities with higher and lower PHEpc than the mean. RESULTS No correlation between PHEpc and MR-COVID-19 (r: 0.3; p = .14) was found among European countries or Spain's Autonomous Communities (r: 0.03; p=0.91). No significant differences were found when comparing MR-COVID-19 among PHEpc groups. CONCLUSIONS The available evidence does not support association between "low" public healthcare expenditure and the poor outcomes observed in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased funding for the Spanish National Health System should be earmarked for structural reforms to increase its social efficiency.