Access to quality healthcare remains a critical driver of life expectancy and population well-being.
Recognizing the vital role that effective medical services play in public health, Nairametrics explores the Africa Health Care Index to identify cities offering the best healthcare systems across the continent.
The Africa Health Care Index 2025 mid-year report highlights the continent’s leading cities in healthcare delivery, measuring staff competence, diagnostic capacity, service responsiveness, affordability, and accessibility.
The accompanying Health Care Exp Index provides further depth by balancing positive and negative factors.
Methodology
The ranking is based on Numbeo’s analysis of eight key factors, including the competency of medical staff, speed and accuracy of examinations, availability of modern equipment, affordability, accessibility, and responsiveness of healthcare services.
While challenges persist, the index shows that several African cities are offering increasingly reliable and efficient healthcare systems, which are critical for disease prevention, community resilience, and overall well-being.
Below are the top 10 African cities for healthcare in 2025, ranked by their Healthcare Index scores:
Healthcare Index: 60.5 | Exp Index: 108.6 | Rank: 5
Johannesburg ranks fifth on Numbeo’s 2025 Africa Health Care Index, with a Healthcare Index score of 61.8 and an Expenditure Index of 110.2.
The city’s healthcare system is home to large tertiary hospitals and leading private healthcare groups, making it a medical tourism destination. However, strong support for HIV and cancer care programs has boosted its ranking, though rising costs remain a challenge for local affordability.
Public-private partnerships and South Africa’s continued investment in specialized healthcare services make Johannesburg one of Africa’s most advanced urban healthcare hubs.
