OBJECTIVES: This study is to assess the hepatitis C (HCV) burdens on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and resource utilization in Europe. METHODS: Data from 2006 to 2008 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK were applied. Responders were representative adults. Those with self-reported hepatitis C were categorized as cases. Propensity-matched non-hepatitis survey responders were selected as controls based on country, gender, age, education, employment, and year of survey. HRQoL was collected from both SF-8/SF-12 and Work Productivity Activity Impairment (WPAI) standard instruments. The numbers of physician and emergency room (ER) visits were also collected. Conditional logistic regression was applied controlling for AIDS/HIV status, health status measured by the Charlson Index less hepatitis C, marital status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and body mass index. RESULTS: The final sample included 864 cases and 864 closely matched controls. Sixty-one percent were male with mean age of 49.8 years. HCV patients reported significantly impaired HRQoL scores on both SF-8/SF-12 mental score and physical score (P<0.01). Work productivity was also reported lower for cases although not statistically significant due to limited number of employed patients. In the six months prior to the survey, HCV patients, compared to controls, were significantly more likely to have an ER visit (OR=1.497, 95%CI: 1.092-2.051), significantly more likely to visit an internist (OR=2.297, 95%CI: 1.413-3.736), gastroenterologist (OR=1.997, 95%CI: 1.285-3.104), nephrologist (OR=3.149, 95%CI: 1.142-8.682), or other medical specialist (OR=1.434, 95%CI: 1.054-2.050). Overall HCV patients reported 2.34 more medical visits than controls (95%CI: 1.1613-3.5315) in the past six months. CONCLUSIONS: HCV infected patients in Europe reported significantly lower HRQoL than non-HCV infected subjects, and were more likely to have ER and physician visits.