Identifying a New Typology of European Health Systems: A Data-Driven Clustering Analysis

This study addresses the critical need for updated, evidence-based classifications of European health systems that move beyond traditional models. We employed a data-driven approach, utilizing K-Means clustering on WHO data for 52 European countries. Our analysis focused on key indicators: doctor density, nurse density, and catastrophic health spending. The findings reveal three distinct and compelling health system profiles: "High-Resource, Low-Burden," "Physician-Centric, High-Burden," and "Lower-Resource" systems. This new typology offers a nuanced understanding of current health system structures, highlighting distinct differences in workforce strategy and financial protection, and provides a fresh framework for international comparison and evidence-based health policy