Hospital beds in South Africa

South Africa: Hospital beds was 2.25 per 1,000 people in 2010. ▼ Falling

Latest (2010)
2.25 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
91st
of 179 countries
All-time high
2.99 per 1,000 people
in 2002
All-time low
2.25 per 1,000 people
in 2010
Years of data
5
2002–2010

Hospital beds in South Africa, 2002–2010

01232002200620102002: 3 per 1,000 people2004: 2.8 per 1,000 people2007: 2.3 per 1,000 people2008: 2.3 per 1,000 people2010: 2.2 per 1,000 people

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

Analysis

In 2010, hospital beds in South Africa stood at 2.25 per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 24.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hospital beds in South Africa peaked at 2.99 per 1,000 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 2.25 per 1,000 people, in 2010.

That places South Africa 91st out of 179 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the middle of the range.

Hospital beds in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) in South Africa, 2002 to 2010.
Year per 1,000 people Change
2002 2.99 per 1,000 people
2004 2.78 per 1,000 people -7.0%
2007 2.34 per 1,000 people -15.8%
2008 2.32 per 1,000 people -0.9%
2010 2.25 per 1,000 people -3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.61 per 1,000 people 2.32 per 1,000 people 2.99 per 1,000 people 4
2010s 2.25 per 1,000 people 2.25 per 1,000 people 2.25 per 1,000 people 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 88 Botswana 2.36 per 1,000 people compare
  2. 89 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.35 per 1,000 people compare
  3. 90 Kuwait 2.33 per 1,000 people compare
  4. 92 Cape Verde 2.21 per 1,000 people compare
  5. 93 Bahamas 2.17 per 1,000 people compare
  6. 94 Bhutan 2.16 per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is hospital beds in South Africa?
Hospital beds in South Africa was 2.25 per 1,000 people in 2010, according to WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest hospital beds recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.99 per 1,000 people in 2002.
What is the lowest hospital beds recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.25 per 1,000 people in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for hospital beds?
South Africa ranks 91st out of 179 countries with data for 2010.
Is hospital beds rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa 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 South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/hospital-beds-per-1-000-people/south-africa/

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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.