Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America

United States of America: Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories was 4.8 Days in 2010. ▼ Falling

Latest (2010)
4.8 Days
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
31st
of 32 countries
All-time high
6.4 Days
in 1990
All-time low
4.8 Days
in 2003
Years of data
21
1990–2010

Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America, 1990–2010

02461990200020101990: 6.4 Days1991: 6.4 Days1992: 6.2 Days1993: 6 Days1994: 5.7 Days1995: 5.4 Days1996: 5.2 Days1997: 5.1 Days1998: 5.1 Days1999: 5 Days2000: 4.9 Days2001: 4.9 Days2002: 4.9 Days2003: 4.8 Days2004: 4.8 Days2005: 4.8 Days2006: 4.8 Days2007: 4.8 Days2008: 4.9 Days2009: 4.9 Days2010: 4.8 Days

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

Analysis

In 2010, hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America stood at 4.8 Days. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America peaked at 6.4 Days in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4.8 Days, in 2003.

That places United States of America 31st out of 32 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America, 1990 to 2010.
Year Days Change
1990 6.4 Days
1991 6.4 Days +0.0%
1992 6.2 Days -3.1%
1993 6 Days -3.2%
1994 5.7 Days -5.0%
1995 5.4 Days -5.3%
1996 5.2 Days -3.7%
1997 5.1 Days -1.9%
1998 5.1 Days +0.0%
1999 5 Days -2.0%
2000 4.9 Days -2.0%
2001 4.9 Days +0.0%
2002 4.9 Days +0.0%
2003 4.8 Days -2.0%
2004 4.8 Days +0.0%
2005 4.8 Days +0.0%
2006 4.8 Days +0.0%
2007 4.8 Days +0.0%
2008 4.9 Days +2.1%
2009 4.9 Days +0.0%
2010 4.8 Days -2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5.65 Days 5 Days 6.4 Days 10
2000s 4.85 Days 4.8 Days 4.9 Days 10
2010s 4.8 Days 4.8 Days 4.8 Days 1

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 29 Sweden 5.2 Days compare
  2. 29 Bulgaria 5.2 Days
  3. 32 Mexico 4.7 Days compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More health data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America?
Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States of America was 4.8 Days in 2010, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 6.4 Days in 1990.
What is the lowest hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8 Days in 2003.
How does United States of America rank for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories?
United States of America ranks 31st out of 32 countries with data for 2010.
Is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of America 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 United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/hospital-average-length-of-stay-by-diagnostic-categories/united-states/

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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.