The Hospital Universitario de Son Espases has once again been recognised as the highest-ranked hospital in the Balearics for 2025, according to the latest Spanish Index of Hospital Excellence (IEH 2025) published by the Institute for Coordination of Governance and Applied Economics (Icgea). In this tenth annual edition, Clínica Rotger and Hospital Quironsalud Palmaplanas stand out as the Balearic Islands' top private healthcare providers.
IEH 2025 scores Son Espases at 0.833 out of 1, maintaining its leadership in the region. It is joined by Hospital Quirónsalud Palmaplanas (0.804), Clínica Rotger (0.775), Hospital de Son Llàtzer (0.749), and Hospital de Can Misses (0.692) in the Balearics’ top five. The ranking is based on metrics including quality of care, hospital service, patient satisfaction, innovation, and efficient resource use. It is constructed through 2,300 professional surveys spanning hospitals nationwide, which help inform both the general and regional IEH classifications.
Spain’s national leaders: Madrid and Barcelona hospitals dominate rankings
For the tenth consecutive year, Spain’s top overall facility is Fundación Jiménez Díaz in Madrid. Its uninterrupted record is attributed to both consistent clinical outcomes and strategic vision. As Icgea’s executive vice president, Jesús Sánchez Lambás, stated: "Ten years in a row as Spain’s best hospital shows that excellence is not only about clinical results or reputation, but about consistency and strategic vision. Fundación Jiménez Díaz has evolved from a care model to smart health, integrating research, digitalisation, efficient management, and the humanisation of care."
The IEH reports that Madrid’s hospital sector remains strong, taking four of the country’s top five places. According to Sánchez Lambás, "Madrid represents a healthcare model where public and private institutions have developed intelligent, sustainable, digital, and patient-focused structures. Today, excellence is tied not to an institution’s size or ownership, but to its ability to convert organisation into real value for patients."
This year’s top five Spanish hospitals are: Fundación Jiménez Díaz (1), Hospital Universitario La Paz (2, Madrid), Hospital Vall d’Hebron (3, Barcelona), Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón (4, Madrid), and Hospital Clínico San Carlos (5, Madrid). Completing the top ten are Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (6), Hospital Quirónsalud Barcelona (7), Hospital Quirónsalud Madrid (8), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía de Córdoba (9), and Hospital Universitari Sagrat Cor de Barcelona (10). Madrid leads with five hospitals, followed by Catalonia at four, while Andalusia re-emerges in the top rankings for 2025.
Evaluation criteria and sector trends
IEH is regarded as a benchmark for hospital performance in Spain, evaluating both public and private centres without bias. This year’s analysis underscores Spain’s robust hospital system, the growing importance of intelligent and personalised health services, and major investments in cutting-edge technology. Sánchez Lambás noted: "Spanish hospitals distinguish themselves not only through their high quality but also their adaptability to complex challenges such as an ageing population, chronic illness, system sustainability, digitalisation, and the integration of new medical technologies. The real challenge now is to ensure that innovation, efficiency, and the humanisation of care truly benefit patients and provide tangible value to society, anticipating new trends."
The IEH is compiled using three axes: the general IEH (Spain’s top ten nationally), an autonomous ranking of the top five in each region, and expertise-based rankings for key medical specialties. Survey results are derived directly from Spanish healthcare professionals across various hospitals, reflecting both their experiences and observed outcomes.