Hospital beds in Belgium

Belgium: Hospital beds was 5.42 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
5.42 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
24th
of 179 countries
All-time high
9.4 per 1,000 people
in 1980
All-time low
5.42 per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
35
1970–2023

Hospital beds in Belgium, 1970–2023

02468101970199620231970: 8.3 per 1,000 people1980: 9.4 per 1,000 people1985: 9.1 per 1,000 people1990: 8 per 1,000 people1991: 7.9 per 1,000 people1992: 7.7 per 1,000 people1993: 7.7 per 1,000 people1994: 7.6 per 1,000 people1997: 7.2 per 1,000 people1998: 7.2 per 1,000 people1999: 7.1 per 1,000 people2000: 6.7 per 1,000 people2001: 6.6 per 1,000 people2002: 6.5 per 1,000 people2003: 6.5 per 1,000 people2004: 6.5 per 1,000 people2005: 6.4 per 1,000 people2006: 6.3 per 1,000 people2007: 6.3 per 1,000 people2008: 6.2 per 1,000 people2009: 6.1 per 1,000 people2010: 6.1 per 1,000 people2011: 6 per 1,000 people2012: 6 per 1,000 people2013: 5.9 per 1,000 people2014: 5.8 per 1,000 people2015: 5.8 per 1,000 people2016: 5.8 per 1,000 people2017: 5.7 per 1,000 people2018: 5.6 per 1,000 people2019: 5.6 per 1,000 people2020: 5.5 per 1,000 people2021: 5.5 per 1,000 people2022: 5.5 per 1,000 people2023: 5.4 per 1,000 people

Source: WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for hospital beds in Belgium is 5.42 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital beds in Belgium peaked at 9.4 per 1,000 people in 1980 and was at its lowest, 5.42 per 1,000 people, in 2023.

That places Belgium 24th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Hospital beds in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) in Belgium, 1970 to 2023.
Year per 1,000 people Change
1970 8.3 per 1,000 people
1980 9.4 per 1,000 people +13.3%
1985 9.1 per 1,000 people -3.2%
1990 8 per 1,000 people -12.1%
1991 7.9 per 1,000 people -1.2%
1992 7.7 per 1,000 people -2.5%
1993 7.7 per 1,000 people +0.0%
1994 7.6 per 1,000 people -1.3%
1997 7.2 per 1,000 people -5.3%
1998 7.2 per 1,000 people +0.0%
1999 7.1 per 1,000 people -1.4%
2000 6.72 per 1,000 people -5.4%
2001 6.62 per 1,000 people -1.5%
2002 6.54 per 1,000 people -1.2%
2003 6.53 per 1,000 people -0.2%
2004 6.48 per 1,000 people -0.8%
2005 6.43 per 1,000 people -0.8%
2006 6.35 per 1,000 people -1.2%
2007 6.27 per 1,000 people -1.3%
2008 6.25 per 1,000 people -0.3%
2009 6.14 per 1,000 people -1.8%
2010 6.09 per 1,000 people -0.8%
2011 6.05 per 1,000 people -0.7%
2012 5.98 per 1,000 people -1.2%
2013 5.93 per 1,000 people -0.8%
2014 5.85 per 1,000 people -1.3%
2015 5.83 per 1,000 people -0.3%
2016 5.76 per 1,000 people -1.2%
2017 5.66 per 1,000 people -1.7%
2018 5.62 per 1,000 people -0.7%
2019 5.57 per 1,000 people -0.9%
2020 5.53 per 1,000 people -0.7%
2021 5.5 per 1,000 people -0.5%
2022 5.46 per 1,000 people -0.7%
2023 5.42 per 1,000 people -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 8.3 per 1,000 people 8.3 per 1,000 people 8.3 per 1,000 people 1
1980s 9.25 per 1,000 people 9.1 per 1,000 people 9.4 per 1,000 people 2
1990s 7.55 per 1,000 people 7.1 per 1,000 people 8 per 1,000 people 8
2000s 6.43 per 1,000 people 6.14 per 1,000 people 6.72 per 1,000 people 10
2010s 5.83 per 1,000 people 5.57 per 1,000 people 6.09 per 1,000 people 10
2020s 5.48 per 1,000 people 5.42 per 1,000 people 5.53 per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 21 Croatia 5.6 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 22 Slovakia 5.57 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 23 Republic of Moldova 5.54 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 25 Latvia 4.95 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 26 Haiti 4.9 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 27 Hong Kong 4.89 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More health data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital beds in Belgium?
Hospital beds in Belgium was 5.42 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest hospital beds recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 9.4 per 1,000 people in 1980.
What is the lowest hospital beds recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 5.42 per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does Belgium rank for hospital beds?
Belgium ranks 24th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
Is hospital beds rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Hospital beds (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Hospital beds in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/hospital-beds-per-1-000-people/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Hospital beds (per 1,000 people)
Unit
per 1,000 people
Source
WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
214 places, 5,758 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

Hospital beds include inpatient beds available in public, private, general, and specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In most cases beds for both acute and chronic care are included.