Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States
United States: Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories was 4.8 Days in 2010. ▼ Falling
Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States, 1990–2010
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 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 peaked at 6.4 Days in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4.8 Days, in 2003.
That places United States 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, year by year
| 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% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4.8 Days is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.7 Days, 72% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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Frequently asked questions
- What is hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States?
- Hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories in United States 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?
- 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?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8 Days in 2003.
- How does United States rank for hospital average length of stay by diagnostic categories?
- United States 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?
- 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 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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About this data
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.