Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Spain

Spain: Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories was 7.9 Days in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
7.9 Days
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
11th
of 32 countries
All-time high
15.5 Days
in 1980
All-time low
6.6 Days
in 2013
Years of data
45
1980–2024

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

0510151980200220241980: 15.5 Days1981: 14.9 Days1982: 13.5 Days1983: 13.6 Days1984: 14.3 Days1985: 13.7 Days1986: 13.1 Days1987: 14.1 Days1988: 12.3 Days1989: 12.7 Days1990: 12.5 Days1991: 12.9 Days1992: 11.2 Days1993: 12.1 Days1994: 10.6 Days1995: 10.1 Days1996: 9.5 Days1997: 9.6 Days1998: 9.1 Days1999: 8.6 Days2000: 8.8 Days2001: 7.6 Days2002: 7.6 Days2003: 7.6 Days2004: 7.1 Days2005: 7.1 Days2006: 7 Days2007: 7.2 Days2008: 7 Days2009: 6.9 Days2010: 6.8 Days2011: 6.7 Days2012: 6.7 Days2013: 6.6 Days2014: 6.6 Days2015: 6.7 Days2016: 7 Days2017: 7.5 Days2018: 8.3 Days2019: 8.1 Days2020: 8.7 Days2021: 8.3 Days2022: 8.2 Days2023: 8.1 Days2024: 7.9 Days

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

Analysis

Spain recorded 7.9 Days for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in 2024.

The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Spain peaked at 15.5 Days in 1980 and was at its lowest, 6.6 Days, in 2013.

That places Spain 11th out of 32 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Spain, year by year

Annual values for Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Spain, 1980 to 2024.
Year Days Change
1980 15.5 Days
1981 14.9 Days -3.9%
1982 13.5 Days -9.4%
1983 13.6 Days +0.7%
1984 14.3 Days +5.1%
1985 13.7 Days -4.2%
1986 13.1 Days -4.4%
1987 14.1 Days +7.6%
1988 12.3 Days -12.8%
1989 12.7 Days +3.3%
1990 12.5 Days -1.6%
1991 12.9 Days +3.2%
1992 11.2 Days -13.2%
1993 12.1 Days +8.0%
1994 10.6 Days -12.4%
1995 10.1 Days -4.7%
1996 9.5 Days -5.9%
1997 9.6 Days +1.1%
1998 9.1 Days -5.2%
1999 8.6 Days -5.5%
2000 8.8 Days +2.3%
2001 7.6 Days -13.6%
2002 7.6 Days +0.0%
2003 7.6 Days +0.0%
2004 7.1 Days -6.6%
2005 7.1 Days +0.0%
2006 7 Days -1.4%
2007 7.2 Days +2.9%
2008 7 Days -2.8%
2009 6.9 Days -1.4%
2010 6.8 Days -1.4%
2011 6.7 Days -1.5%
2012 6.7 Days +0.0%
2013 6.6 Days -1.5%
2014 6.6 Days +0.0%
2015 6.7 Days +1.5%
2016 7 Days +4.5%
2017 7.5 Days +7.1%
2018 8.3 Days +10.7%
2019 8.1 Days -2.4%
2020 8.7 Days +7.4%
2021 8.3 Days -4.6%
2022 8.2 Days -1.2%
2023 8.1 Days -1.2%
2024 7.9 Days -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13.77 Days 12.3 Days 15.5 Days 10
1990s 10.62 Days 8.6 Days 12.9 Days 10
2000s 7.39 Days 6.9 Days 8.8 Days 10
2010s 7.1 Days 6.6 Days 8.3 Days 10
2020s 8.24 Days 7.9 Days 8.7 Days 5

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 8 Italy 8.2 Days compare
  2. 9 Switzerland 8.1 Days compare
  3. 10 Canada 8 Days compare
  4. 12 Finland 7.5 Days compare
  5. 13 Luxembourg 7.3 Days compare
  6. 14 United Kingdom 7.2 Days compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More health data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Spain?
Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in Spain was 7.9 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 Spain?
The highest recorded value was 15.5 Days in 1980.
What is the lowest hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 6.6 Days in 2013.
How does Spain rank for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories?
Spain ranks 11th out of 32 countries with data for 2024.
Is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Spain 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 Spain. 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/spain/

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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.