Hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada
Canada: Hospital beds per 1,000 people was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
2.54 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
76th
of 179 countries
All-time high
7 per 1,000 people
in 1970
All-time low
2.51 per 1,000 people
in 2017
Years of data
48
1960–2022
Hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada, 1960–2022
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada is 2.54 per 1,000 people, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada peaked at 7 per 1,000 people in 1970 and was at its lowest, 2.51 per 1,000 people, in 2017.
That places Canada 76th out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.2 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1970 | 7 per 1,000 people | +12.9% |
| 1976 | 6.9 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 6.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6.9 per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6.7 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 6.6 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 6.5 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 6.3 per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 6 per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 5.8 per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 5.5 per 1,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1993 | 5.4 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 5 per 1,000 people | -7.4% |
| 1996 | 4.6 per 1,000 people | -8.0% |
| 1997 | 4.4 per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 4.2 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 3.9 per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 3.75 per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 3.66 per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 3.62 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 3.48 per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 3.42 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 3.08 per 1,000 people | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 3 per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 2.95 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 2.83 per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 2.79 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 2.77 per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 2.78 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 2.77 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.7 per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 2.66 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 2.58 per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 2.51 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 2.51 per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 2.57 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 2.54 per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.3 per 1,000 people, 77% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.2 per 1,000 people | 6.2 per 1,000 people | 6.2 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1970s | 6.9 per 1,000 people | 6.8 per 1,000 people | 7 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 1980s | 6.7 per 1,000 people | 6.3 per 1,000 people | 6.9 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.98 per 1,000 people | 3.9 per 1,000 people | 6 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.26 per 1,000 people | 2.79 per 1,000 people | 3.75 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.64 per 1,000 people | 2.51 per 1,000 people | 2.78 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.55 per 1,000 people | 2.54 per 1,000 people | 2.57 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5214 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5024 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada?
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people in Canada was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2022, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest hospital beds per 1,000 people recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 7 per 1,000 people in 1970.
- What is the lowest hospital beds per 1,000 people recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.51 per 1,000 people in 2017.
- How does Canada rank for hospital beds per 1,000 people?
- Canada ranks 76th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is hospital beds per 1,000 people rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (WHO) data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Hospital beds per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.