Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia

Australia: Hospital beds by function of healthcare was 3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
20th
of 44 countries
All-time high
9.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 1960
All-time low
3.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants
in 2013
Years of data
53
1960–2016

Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia, 1960–2016

0246810196019882016

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Per 1 000 inhabitants.

Analysis

In 2016, hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia stood at 3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia peaked at 9.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 1960 and was at its lowest, 3.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants, in 2013.

Australia ranks 20th of 44 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.

Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia, 1960 to 2016.
Year Per 1 000 inhabitants Change
1960 9.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants
1961 9.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.8%
1962 9.38 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.1%
1963 9.36 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.2%
1964 9.23 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.4%
1965 9.13 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.1%
1966 8.93 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.2%
1967 8.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.0%
1968 8.61 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.6%
1969 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.4%
1970 8.25 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.8%
1971 7.98 Per 1 000 inhabitants -3.3%
1972 7.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.0%
1973 7.88 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.3%
1974 8 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.5%
1975 7.94 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.7%
1976 7.97 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.4%
1977 8.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.6%
1978 8.05 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.6%
1979 8 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.6%
1980 7.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.0%
1981 7.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.4%
1982 7.43 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.9%
1983 7.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants -3.1%
1984 6.94 Per 1 000 inhabitants -3.6%
1985 6.24 Per 1 000 inhabitants -10.1%
1987 5.82 Per 1 000 inhabitants -6.7%
1989 5.43 Per 1 000 inhabitants -6.7%
1991 4.92 Per 1 000 inhabitants -9.4%
1992 4.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants -5.5%
1993 4.68 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.6%
1994 4.59 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.9%
1995 4.58 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.2%
1996 4.38 Per 1 000 inhabitants -4.4%
1997 4.28 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.3%
1998 4.17 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.6%
1999 4.07 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.4%
2000 4.04 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.7%
2001 3.95 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.2%
2002 3.93 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.5%
2003 3.97 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.0%
2004 4 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2005 3.9 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.5%
2006 3.93 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2008 3.82 Per 1 000 inhabitants -2.8%
2009 3.77 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.3%
2010 3.78 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.3%
2011 3.79 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.3%
2012 3.75 Per 1 000 inhabitants -1.1%
2013 3.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants -0.3%
2014 3.79 Per 1 000 inhabitants +1.3%
2015 3.82 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.8%
2016 3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 9.1 Per 1 000 inhabitants 8.4 Per 1 000 inhabitants 9.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
1970s 8.01 Per 1 000 inhabitants 7.88 Per 1 000 inhabitants 8.25 Per 1 000 inhabitants 10
1980s 6.82 Per 1 000 inhabitants 5.43 Per 1 000 inhabitants 7.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants 8
1990s 4.48 Per 1 000 inhabitants 4.07 Per 1 000 inhabitants 4.92 Per 1 000 inhabitants 9
2000s 3.92 Per 1 000 inhabitants 3.77 Per 1 000 inhabitants 4.04 Per 1 000 inhabitants 9
2010s 3.79 Per 1 000 inhabitants 3.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants 3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants 7

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 17 Luxembourg 3.92 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  2. 18 Malta 3.91 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  3. 19 Montenegro 3.87 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  4. 21 Portugal 3.31 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  5. 22 Cyprus 3.29 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare
  6. 23 Norway 3.2 Per 1 000 inhabitants compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More health data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia?
Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia was 3.84 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2016, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest hospital beds by function of healthcare recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 9.65 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 1960.
What is the lowest hospital beds by function of healthcare recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.74 Per 1 000 inhabitants in 2013.
How does Australia rank for hospital beds by function of healthcare?
Australia ranks 20th out of 44 countries with data for 2016.
Is hospital beds by function of healthcare rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hospital beds by function of healthcare. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Hospital beds by function of healthcare in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/hospital-beds-by-function-of-healthcare/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Hospital beds by function of healthcare
Unit
Per 1 000 inhabitants
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
55 places, 1,821 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset provides data on the number of total hospitals beds by function of healthcare and by type of care (ie. somatic or psychiatric care). Total hospital beds are all hospital (HP.1) beds which are regularly maintained and staffed and immediately available for the care of admitted patients. They are the sum of the following categories: Curative care (acute care) beds in hospitals Rehabilitative care beds in hospitals Long-term care beds in hospitals All other beds in hospitals not elsewhere classified Bed numbers according to these functional categories are also broken down between: Somatic care beds in hospitals Psychiatric care beds in hospitals Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.