Don’t keep calm and carry on: British women are among the angriest in Europe, survey reveals

As the saying (sort of) goes: Hell hath no fury like a British woman scorned… by their healthcare system.

According to a new poll, women from the United Kingdom are among the angriest in Europe, with more than a fifth reporting feelings of rage.

The data was compiled by the Hologic Global Women's Health Index, the largest and most comprehensive global survey on women's health.

Its findings also note a decline in women’s emotional and physical health, and highlight ongoing inadequacies in female healthcare — something termed “medical misogyny” in a 2024 report by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC).

Since February 2024, the women’s health score for the UK has fallen to its lowest levels going back to 2020, with the country now ranked 48th out of 143 countries.

In comparison, other European countries like Germany, Poland and Latvia all fared much better, ranking at 7, 5 and 2 respectively.

The scores take into account women’s reported levels of emotional health, their access to support and their overall quality of life.

Collectively, the data revealed that 42% of women are experiencing worry and 28% sadness.

Those over the age of 60 were impacted most, noted as the only age group to be angrier and sadder than they were in 2020, when the monitoring first began.

Rage against the gender health gap

A primary source of women's frustrations in the UK — and across much of the world — continues to be a lack of investment, recognition and support for female health conditions.

In January, a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reported that women lose a combined 75 million years of healthy life every year, yet only receive 6% of total private healthcare investment.

This has meant that, while women are more likely than men to seek medical help, they still struggle to receive adequate treatment.

In particular, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has shown notable gaps in its pelvic and menopause care, according to Pure Unity Health. The same report stated that only 2% of UK medical research funding was spent on pregnancy, childbirth and female reproductive health in 2025.

As a result, women are increasingly turning to social media for solidarity, with Reddit communities like r/endometriosis and r/menopause each containing over 100,000 members.

However, while these spaces can be powerful tools for raising awareness, they also carry the risk of misinformation, highlighting the urgent need for more in-person professional care.

“Women’s responses [to the poll] clearly illustrate the continuing deterioration across many aspects of their health and wellbeing,” Tim Simpson, the general manager for UK & Ireland, Benelux & Nordics at Hologic, told The Independent.

“Additional UK research found many are facing delays in care and losing confidence in the system,” he added.

These healthcare delays are one of the most pressing issues, with access to specialised NHS services largely dependent on where you live in the country. For example, those in bigger cities like London tend to have quicker wait times compared to rural areas.

More investment is also needed for chronic female conditions, many of which remain underresearched — and can have debilitating consequences on women’s lives.

According to Hologic’s study, a third of women were found to be experiencing daily physical pain, and nearly one in four reported health problems serious enough to interfere with activities.

“The good news is that we know where many of the challenges lie,” Simpson said.

“Women are telling us they want earlier diagnosis, faster access to care and greater use of innovative technologies. Improving women's health will take continued commitment from policymakers, the NHS, clinicians and industry working together to deliver the changes women are asking for.”