Key facts

• In 2017, 31 273 cases of hepatitis C were reported in 29 EU/EEA Member States. Excluding countries that only reported acute cases, 31 178 cases corresponds to a crude rate of 7.3 cases per 100 000 population.
• Of the cases reported, 3% were classified as acute, 22% as chronic and 75% as ‘unknown’.
• Hepatitis C was more commonly reported among men than women, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.6:1. The most affected age group among males was between 35–44 years and for females between 25–34 years.
• Mode of transmission was reported for 26% of cases. The most commonly reported mode was injecting drug use, which accounted for 44% of cases with complete information on transmission status.
• The interpretation of hepatitis C notification data across countries remains problematic, with ongoing differences in surveillance systems and difficulties in defining reported cases as acute or chronic. With hepatitis C, a largely asymptomatic disease until the late stages, surveillance based on notification data is challenging, with data reflecting testing practices rather than true occurrence of disease.