Hospital beds in World
World: Hospital beds was 3.29 per 1,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Hospital beds in World, 1970–2021
Source: WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
World recorded 3.29 per 1,000 people for hospital beds in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hospital beds in World peaked at 4.12 per 1,000 people in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.4 per 1,000 people, in 1975.
World ranks 13th of 33 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Hospital beds in World, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.07 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1975 | 2.4 per 1,000 people | -21.9% |
| 1980 | 3.59 per 1,000 people | +49.5% |
| 1985 | 4.12 per 1,000 people | +14.8% |
| 1990 | 3.63 per 1,000 people | -11.9% |
| 1991 | 3.42 per 1,000 people | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 3.13 per 1,000 people | -8.5% |
| 2001 | 3.04 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 2.99 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 2.95 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.86 per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 2.88 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 2.82 per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 2.79 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 2.75 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 2.76 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.77 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 2.74 per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 2.87 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 2.84 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.86 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.93 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 2.92 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 3 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 3.07 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.04 per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 3.13 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 3.29 per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.74 per 1,000 people | 2.4 per 1,000 people | 3.07 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.86 per 1,000 people | 3.59 per 1,000 people | 4.12 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 3.52 per 1,000 people | 3.42 per 1,000 people | 3.63 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.9 per 1,000 people | 2.75 per 1,000 people | 3.13 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9 per 1,000 people | 2.74 per 1,000 people | 3.07 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.21 per 1,000 people | 3.13 per 1,000 people | 3.29 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.3116 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1186 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.4394 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1255 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -0.3771 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.2441 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is hospital beds in World?
- Hospital beds in World was 3.29 per 1,000 people in 2021, according to WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest hospital beds recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 4.12 per 1,000 people in 1985.
- What is the lowest hospital beds recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4 per 1,000 people in 1975.
- How does World rank for hospital beds?
- World ranks 13th out of 33 groups with data for 2021.
- Is hospital beds rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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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About this data
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.