Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada

Canada: Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories was 8 Days in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
8 Days
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
10th
of 32 countries
All-time high
10.5 Days
in 1987
All-time low
6.8 Days
in 2015
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada, 1980–2024

02.557.5101980200220241980: 10 Days1981: 10.2 Days1982: 10 Days1983: 10 Days1984: 10.2 Days1985: 10.4 Days1986: 10.3 Days1987: 10.5 Days1988: 10.4 Days1989: 10.2 Days1990: 10.2 Days1991: 10 Days1992: 9.9 Days1993: 9.8 Days1994: 7.4 Days1995: 7.2 Days1996: 7.1 Days1997: 7 Days1998: 7 Days1999: 7.1 Days2000: 7.2 Days2001: 7.3 Days2002: 7.4 Days2003: 7.3 Days2004: 7.3 Days2005: 7.2 Days2006: 7.3 Days2007: 7.4 Days2008: 7.6 Days2009: 7.6 Days2010: 7.6 Days2011: 7.5 Days2012: 7.5 Days2013: 6.9 Days2014: 7 Days2015: 6.8 Days2016: 6.9 Days2017: 6.8 Days2018: 7.4 Days2019: 7.6 Days2020: 7.6 Days2021: 7.7 Days2022: 8 Days2023: 7.9 Days2024: 8 Days

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Days.

Analysis

Canada recorded 8 Days for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in 2024.

That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada peaked at 10.5 Days in 1987 and was at its lowest, 6.8 Days, in 2015.

Canada ranks 10th of 32 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.

Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada, 1980 to 2024.
Year Days Change
1980 10 Days
1981 10.2 Days +2.0%
1982 10 Days -2.0%
1983 10 Days +0.0%
1984 10.2 Days +2.0%
1985 10.4 Days +2.0%
1986 10.3 Days -1.0%
1987 10.5 Days +1.9%
1988 10.4 Days -1.0%
1989 10.2 Days -1.9%
1990 10.2 Days +0.0%
1991 10 Days -2.0%
1992 9.9 Days -1.0%
1993 9.8 Days -1.0%
1994 7.4 Days -24.5%
1995 7.2 Days -2.7%
1996 7.1 Days -1.4%
1997 7 Days -1.4%
1998 7 Days +0.0%
1999 7.1 Days +1.4%
2000 7.2 Days +1.4%
2001 7.3 Days +1.4%
2002 7.4 Days +1.4%
2003 7.3 Days -1.4%
2004 7.3 Days +0.0%
2005 7.2 Days -1.4%
2006 7.3 Days +1.4%
2007 7.4 Days +1.4%
2008 7.6 Days +2.7%
2009 7.6 Days +0.0%
2010 7.6 Days +0.0%
2011 7.5 Days -1.3%
2012 7.5 Days +0.0%
2013 6.9 Days -8.0%
2014 7 Days +1.4%
2015 6.8 Days -2.9%
2016 6.9 Days +1.5%
2017 6.8 Days -1.4%
2018 7.4 Days +8.8%
2019 7.6 Days +2.7%
2020 7.6 Days +0.0%
2021 7.7 Days +1.3%
2022 8 Days +3.9%
2023 7.9 Days -1.2%
2024 8 Days +1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.22 Days 10 Days 10.5 Days 10
1990s 8.27 Days 7 Days 10.2 Days 10
2000s 7.36 Days 7.2 Days 7.6 Days 10
2010s 7.2 Days 6.8 Days 7.6 Days 10
2020s 7.84 Days 7.6 Days 8 Days 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 7 Türkiye 4.2 Days compare
  2. 8 Italy 8.2 Days compare
  3. 9 Switzerland 8.1 Days compare
  4. 11 Spain 7.9 Days compare
  5. 12 Finland 7.5 Days compare
  6. 13 Luxembourg 7.3 Days compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More health data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada?
Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada was 8 Days in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 10.5 Days in 1987.
What is the lowest hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 6.8 Days in 2015.
How does Canada rank for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories?
Canada ranks 10th out of 32 countries with data for 2024.
Is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/hospital-average-length-of-stay-by-diagnostic-categories/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories
Unit
Days
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 1,093 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Average length of stay (ALOS) is calculated by dividing the number of bed-days by the number of discharges during the year. The list of diagnostic categories is based on the International Shortlist for Hospital Morbidity Tabulation (ISHMT). Click here to see the complete shortlist with ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.