Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 2, 2026
Who holds the health record in Spain?
In 2026, Spain scores 61 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 21st of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 8th to 36th allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026.
The person has real controls inside a government or provider system. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is control over who sees it (64 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). No right falls below the typical country; the closest to it is your say over research use (50 out of 100, against 46 for the typical country).
Spaniards can read key reports from any region and hide them from other doctors, but the national record is summaries, not the chart.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 2, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
61/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 8th to 36th, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 66 out of 100 in Spain; the typical country scores 40 to 45. Ley 41/2002 gives a free right to the clinical record, and the national HCDSNS shows up to nine report types from any region. Spain scored 88.3 on the EU record-access indicator (Digital Decade 2025, 2024 data; EU 82.7), but what each region publishes varies. Source: BOE, texto consolidado, November 15, 2002, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Spain?
In 2026, you and the health system hold the keys to your health record in Spain. Control over who sees it scores 64 out of 100 in Spain; the typical country scores 30. Patients can hide individual reports from other doctors in HCDSNS and see every access, with a form to complain about unjustified ones. Choice covers only the shared national layer; inside each region clinicians treating the patient read the record by law. Source: Ministerio de Sanidad, and the other sources below.
How does Spain compare?
In 2026, Spain scores 61 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Liechtenstein (61 out of 100), Croatia (60 out of 100) and Iceland (62 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Liechtenstein, Croatia, Iceland, the typical EU country and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
66
64 · 62 · 62
Control over who sees it20%
64
74 · 66 · 55
Privacy and security15%
56
62 · 52 · 62
One record across your care15%
64
54 · 68 · 76
Protection from sale and ads10%
60
54 · 56 · 58
Doctors see it when treating you10%
60
63 · 64 · 74
Your say over research use5%
50
42 · 45 · 50
Rules for AI in your care5%
50
50 · 50 · 50
Black dot: Spain. Hollow dots: Liechtenstein, Croatia, Iceland (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Dashed teal line: the typical EU country. Overall: Spain 61 out of 100, the typical EU country 61. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Spain need to change to score higher?
Spain sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Every right is at or above the typical country. The two with the most room to grow, weighted by how much each counts, are control over who sees it (64 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country) and getting your full record (66 out of 100, against 40 to 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Control over who sees it: A way to say no to sharing (or to be asked first), a log you can read of who opened your record, and finer choices about who sees what. Together these put this right at 60 to 80 out of 100.
Getting your full record: A national portal that shows most people at least part of their record (a summary, prescriptions, lab results) puts this right at 60 to 75 out of 100. A near-full record that you can download, with a long history and used by most people, puts it at 76 to 90.
Which laws give health record rights in Spain?
Ley 41/2002, básica reguladora de la autonomía del paciente: Right to access and copy the clinical record; limits record use to care; anonymity for secondary uses.
Ley Orgánica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD): Applies GDPR; pseudonymised research rules; re-identification offence; no fines for public bodies.
Real Decreto-ley 5/2023 (derecho al olvido oncológico): Life insurers may not consider cancer five years after treatment ends; bars health-condition discrimination.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
44.3 2023 · 12th highest of 38 OECD countries
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
62.2 2023 · 28th highest of 38 OECD countries
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
26.4% 2023 · 12th highest of 35 OECD countries
Record reaches private care?
partly
"La Comunidad de Madrid y Galicia son las únicas regiones que comparten datos entre las dos redes sanitarias"
Real cases
April 20, 2026 · Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), PS-00560-2025 (EXP202503617) · archived copy Clinic charged a patient 30 euros for a first copy of her record
July 7, 2026 · Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), PD-00068-2026 (EXP202518019) · archived copy Employer's health service ignored a request for a medical record for three years
In 2026, Spain scored 61 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 21st of 198 countries and territories (could be 8th to 36th), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: you and the health system. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 2, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/spain/
The 22 sources for Spain
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Ley 41/2002, básica reguladora de la autonomía del paciente” [Law 41/2002, basic law regulating patient autonomy] our machine translation
BOE, texto consolidado [BOE, consolidated text] (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated November 15, 2002 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Protection from sale and ads; Doctors see it when treating you
“La AEPD sanciona a un centro médico por cobrar 30 euros por entregar una historia clínica” [The AEPD fines a medical centre for charging 30 euros to hand over a medical record] our machine translation
Iberley (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated April 30, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Trazabilidad de los accesos a datos de salud: la AEPD anticipa el estándar del EHDS” [Traceability of access to health data: the AEPD anticipates the EHDS standard] our machine translation
Cuatrecasas (other) · Title in Spanish
Dated July 13, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ley Orgánica 3/2018 de Protección de Datos Personales y garantía de los derechos digitales” [Organic Law 3/2018 on the Protection of Personal Data and guarantee of digital rights] our machine translation
BOE, texto consolidado [BOE, consolidated text] (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated December 6, 2018 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads; Your say over research use
“Un hospital del Grupo Quirón recibe una multa de 1,2 millones de euros por perder el CD de un paciente” [A Grupo Quirón hospital is fined 1.2 million euros for losing a patient's CD] our machine translation
Infobae (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated February 12, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“El software para psicólogos Eholo sufre una grave filtración de datos” [Psychologist software Eholo suffers a serious data leak] our machine translation
Escudo Digital (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated March 5, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Un grupo de hackers asegura haber robado datos médicos y financieros de pacientes de Quirón en España” [A group of hackers claims to have stolen medical and financial data of Quirón patients in Spain] our machine translation
La Voz del Sur (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated August 11, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Presentado el Espacio Nacional de Datos de Salud” [National Health Data Space presented] our machine translation
Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública [Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service] (government guidance) · Title in Spanish
Dated January 29, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: One record across your care; Protection from sale and ads
“Real Decreto-ley 5/2023, art. 209: derecho al olvido oncológico en el contrato de seguro” [Royal Decree-law 5/2023, art. 209: right to be forgotten for cancer survivors in insurance contracts] our machine translation
BOE (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated June 28, 2023 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“La història clínica compartida, present a tots els hospitals i els CAP de la xarxa sanitària pública” [The shared clinical record, present in all hospitals and CAPs of the public health network] our machine translation
Govern de Catalunya [Government of Catalonia] (government guidance) · Title in Catalan
Dated September 1, 2014 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Consulta pública previa sobre el Anteproyecto de Ley de Salud Digital” [Prior public consultation on the Preliminary Draft Digital Health Law] our machine translation
Ministerio de Sanidad [Ministry of Health] (government guidance) · Title in Spanish
Dated September 22, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Your say over research use; Rules for AI in your care
“¿Qué es la AESIA?” [What is AESIA?] our machine translation
Agencia Española de Supervisión de Inteligencia Artificial [Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence] (regulator) · Title in Spanish
No date recorded · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“El Gobierno regula la inteligencia artificial para asegurar un uso confiable, ético y garantista” [The Government regulates artificial intelligence to ensure reliable, ethical and rights-protecting use] our machine translation
La Moncloa, Consejo de Ministros 26.5.2026 [La Moncloa, Council of Ministers 26.5.2026] (government guidance) · Title in Spanish
Dated May 26, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/spain/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
