Data extracted in July 2025.
Planned article update: July 2026.
Highlights
Among EU countries, Bulgaria, Germany and Romania had the highest number of hospital beds relative to population size in 2023.
9 EU countries reported more rehabilitative care beds in hospitals per head of population in 2023 than 10 years earlier, while 13 reported fewer such beds. Data are not available for 5 countries.
In the EU in 2023, the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium recorded the highest number of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities, relative to population.
Total beds in hospitals, 2023
This article presents an overview of European Union (EU) statistics related to the availability of hospital beds as well as the availability of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities. Hospital beds include beds for curative care, long-term care and rehabilitative care.
This article is included in a set of statistical articles concerning healthcare resources in the EU which forms part of the online publication Health in the European Union – facts and figures.
Hospital beds
In 2023, there were almost 2.3 million hospital beds available across the EU. Close to three quarters of these were for the function of curative care. Most of the remainder were beds for rehabilitative care, with a smaller number for long-term care or other functions. Among these functions (curative, rehabilitative, long-term care and other), hospital beds can be categorised by those used for somatic care and those used for psychiatric care; a separate subtotal for psychiatric care beds (across all 4 functions) is also available (see Table 1).
Bulgaria, Germany and Romania had the highest numbers of hospital beds relative to population size
An analysis of the number of hospital beds in relation to population reveals that there were, on average, 511 hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants in 2023 across the whole of the EU. Among the EU countries, Germany recorded not only the highest number of hospital beds (638 354), but also the 2nd highest number relative to population size, with 766 beds per 100 000 population (see Table 1). The only EU country with a higher ratio relative to its population size was Bulgaria, with an average of 864.4 hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants. Romania recorded the 3rd highest ratio, 728.4 hospital beds per 100 000 inhabitants. Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden each recorded fewer than 300 beds per 100 000 inhabitants.
In Cyprus, all hospital beds are classified as curative care. Aside from this particular case, the share of beds for the function of curative care among all hospital beds in 2023 was highest in Portugal, the Netherlands and Ireland, at 95.3%, 95.0% and 92.6%, respectively. Less than two thirds of all hospital beds were for curative care in Hungary, Croatia and Czechia (where the lowest share was recorded, at 62.5%). Elsewhere, curative care beds accounted for between 68% and 90% of all hospital beds. Note that data on curative care beds are only available for somatic care (therefore excluding psychiatric care beds) for 6 EU countries – see Table 1 for more details.
Among the EU countries that that reported beds for both somatic and psychiatric care, Poland recorded the highest share of beds for the function of rehabilitative care, which accounted for 30.6% of the total number of hospital beds in 2023, while this share was also above 15% in Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Austria, Croatia and Malta. In 7 of the 20 EU countries for which this share is available, it was 5% or lower, with the lowest shares (below 2%) in Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Finland.
In most of the 20 EU countries for which data are available for both somatic and psychiatric care, beds for the function of long-term care accounted for less than 16% of the total number of hospital beds in 2023, with only Czechia (28.8%) and Croatia (17.7%) reporting higher shares. This share was 0.5% in Poland and there were no long-term care beds in hospitals in Germany, the Netherlands or Portugal.
Decreasing availability of hospital beds in most EU countries
Between 2013 and 2023, the total number of hospital beds in the EU decreased by 7%. In the majority of EU countries, the number of hospital beds (in absolute terms) was lower in 2023 than it was in 2013. In relative terms, the largest contraction in the number of hospital beds was recorded in Finland, where overall bed numbers fell by 45% between 2013 and 2023. There were 6 EU countries where the total number of hospital beds rose between 2013 and 2023: Portugal, Spain (both up 0.8%), Romania (up 4%), Malta (up 8%), Bulgaria (up 13%) and Ireland (up 30%); note that there are breaks in series for Ireland and Malta.
Figures 1 to 3 provide an analysis of the changes between 2013 and 2023 in the availability (relative to the size of population) for 3 specific functions: curative, rehabilitative and long-term care. These changes in the number of hospital beds can be compared with changes in the average length of stays for in-patients and the number of hospital discharges to analyse developments in the supply of and fulfilled demand for hospital beds.
Curative care beds are used for the when the intent is to relieve symptoms or to reduce the severity of an illness or injury. Between 2013 and 2023 (see Figure 1 for information about the coverage for individual EU countries), an increase in the number of curative care beds in hospitals (relative to the population size) was recorded by 5 of the 24 EU countries for which data are available. There was a relatively small increase in Spain (4.9 beds per 100 000 inhabitants), while this ratio rose more substantially in Romania, Ireland (break in series), Malta and Bulgaria, with increases of 40, 45, 84 and 93 beds per 100 000 inhabitants, respectively. During the period under consideration, Lithuania experienced by far the largest decrease, down 197 beds per 100 000 inhabitants. In the remaining countries, this decrease was between 13 and 90 beds per 100 000 inhabitants.
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Rehabilitative care beds accommodate hospital patients with the intent to stabilise, improve or restore impaired body functions and structures. During the period 2013 to 2023, the number of rehabilitative beds relative to population size increased in 9 out of 22 of the EU countries for which data are available (see Figure 2 for details of the data coverage). The number of rehabilitative care beds increased by more than 12 beds per 100 000 inhabitants in Romania, Austria, Poland and Bulgaria; the last of these recorded the highest increase with an additional 31 beds per 100 000 inhabitants. By contrast, the number of rehabilitative care beds relative to population decreased in 13 EU countries between 2013 and 2023. Decreases were generally smaller than 10 beds per 100 000 inhabitants, but were larger in Hungary (down 18 beds per 100 000 inhabitants; break in series) and Malta (down 27 beds per 100 000 inhabitants between 2014 and 2023).
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Long-term care beds are used to alleviate pain and suffering, and to reduce or manage the deterioration in the health of patients with a degree of long-term dependency. Among the 20 EU countries for which data are available (see Figure 3 for details of the data coverage), 12 recorded a downward development in the number of long-term care beds per 100 000 inhabitants during the period 2013 to 2023. By far, the largest fall was recorded in Finland, dropping from 162 to 32 beds per 100 000 inhabitants between 2013 and 2023. In the other countries, this decrease was by less than 23 bed per 100 000 inhabitants). There were 8 EU countries where there was an increase in the number of long-term care beds relative to population size. The largest increases – all up by more than 10 additional beds per 100 000 inhabitants – were in Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Malta; note that Luxembourg and Malta both have a break in series.
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Beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities
The number of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities relative to population size increased in most EU countries
While the analysis presented so far has focused on beds in hospitals, this final section looks at beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities. In 2023, there were approximately 3.6 million beds in these facilities across the 26 EU countries for which data are available (no data available for Portugal).
Relative to population size in 2023, the highest number of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities was recorded in the Netherlands, with 1 400 per 100 000 inhabitants (see Figure 4). Sweden (1 315 per 100 000 inhabitants) and Belgium (1 250 per 100 000 inhabitants) recorded the next highest rates. In most of the remaining EU countries for which data are available (no data for Portugal), the number of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities exceeded 500 per 100 000 inhabitants, but was lower than 1 200 per 100 000 inhabitants. Below this range, Cyprus, Latvia (coverage is broader), Romania (break in series) and Poland had between 222 and 355 beds per 100 000 inhabitants, while the lowest numbers of beds were in Bulgaria and Greece, at 26 and 20 per 100 000 inhabitants, respectively.
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Source: Eurostat (hlth_rs_bdltc)
A comparison of 2013 and 2023 data reveals that there was an increase in bed numbers per 100 000 inhabitants in most of the EU countries for which data are available (no data for Cyprus, Luxembourg or Portugal). Relative to population size, the number of beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities fell in Latvia (down 148 per 100 000 inhabitants), Denmark (down 114), Bulgaria (down 21) and Greece (down 4), although Denmark and Bulgaria reported a break in series. The largest increase was in Croatia, which also had a break in series. Among the EU countries without a break in series, the largest increase was in Malta (up 325 beds 100 000 inhabitants). The remaining countries experienced an increase of between 16 and 157 beds per 100 000 inhabitants).
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Key concepts
Hospitals comprise licensed establishments primarily engaged in providing medical, diagnostic and treatment services that include physician, nursing and other health services to in-patients, and the specialised accommodation services required by in-patients. Hospitals may also provide out-patient services as a secondary activity. Speciality hospitals, including mental health and substance abuse hospitals, are also covered.
Long-term care institutions refer to nursing and other residential care facilities which provide accommodation and long-term care as a package. Beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities are recorded separately from hospital beds.
Hospital beds are those beds which are regularly maintained and staffed and immediately available for the care of admitted patients. Occupied and unoccupied beds are both included. Excluded are recovery trolleys and beds for same day care (day care and out-patient care), provisional and temporary beds. Hospital beds can be partitioned by function and by category/type of care.
Total hospital beds by function = curative (acute) care beds + rehabilitative care beds + long-term care beds + other hospital beds
- Curative care beds in hospitals are for patients where the principal clinical intent is to relieve symptoms or to reduce the severity of an illness or injury, or to protect against its exacerbation or complication that could threaten life or normal function. They include beds for psychiatric and non-psychiatric curative (acute) care, from general hospitals, mental health hospitals and other specialised hospitals. Beds for palliative and long-term nursing care are recorded under long-term care.
- Rehabilitative care beds in hospitals are beds accommodating patients with the principal intent to stabilise, improve or restore impaired body functions and structures, compensate for the absence or loss of body functions and structures, improve activities and participation and prevent impairments, medical complications and risks. They include beds for psychiatric and non-psychiatric curative (acute) care, from general hospitals, mental health hospitals and other specialised hospitals.
- Long-term care beds in hospitals are for patients requiring long-term care with the primary goal of alleviating pain and suffering and reducing or managing the deterioration in health status in patients with a degree of long-term dependency. They include beds for psychiatric and non-psychiatric long-term care, from general hospitals, mental health hospitals and other specialised hospitals.
- Other beds include all other beds in hospitals not elsewhere classified.
Total hospital beds by category/type of care = somatic care beds + psychiatric care beds
- Somatic care means healthcare relating to the body, as distinguished from psychiatric care.
- Psychiatric care means healthcare concerning the mind, for example, dealing with mental and behavioural disorders. Psychiatric care beds include all beds in mental health and substance abuse hospitals, as well as beds in psychiatric departments of general and specialty hospitals.
Healthcare resources
Statistics on healthcare resources (such as beds in hospitals as well as nursing and other residential long-term care facilities) are documented in a background article on the methodology of healthcare non-expenditure statistics. This provides information on the scope of the data, its legal basis, the methodology employed, as well as related concepts and definitions.
For country specific notes on the collection of healthcare non-expenditure statistics, please refer to the annexes at the end of the national metadata reports accessible from links at the beginning of the European metadata report.
Symbols
In tables, a colon ‘:’is used to show where data aren’t available. Data in italics are estimates or provisional.
Context
Indicators concerning the number of hospital beds (and their function and category/type of care) complement information on healthcare expenditure, hospital personnel - physicians and equipment to provide an overview of the resources available for delivering healthcare in hospitals. It should be noted that the information on hospital beds only covers beds for in-patient care: many hospitals also provide day care and out-patient care and beds used for these services are excluded from the information presented.
In many areas, technological developments have reduced the average length of stay in hospitals for in-patient procedures or replaced procedures requiring in-patient care with ones that can be provided to day care or out-patients, or with the reorganization of the national health systems providing dedicated structures such as nursing homes and other residential long-term care facilities. As such, it is commonplace to find the number of available hospital beds falling over time in many of the EU countries.
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Database
- Health (hlth)
- Health care (hlth_care)
- Health care resources (hlth_res)
- Health care facilities (hlth_facil)
- Available beds in hospitals by NUTS 2 region (hlth_rs_bdsrg2)
- Beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities (hlth_rs_bdltc)
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- Health (t_hlth)
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- Hospital beds (tps00046)
- Available beds in hospitals by NUTS 2 region (tgs00064)
- Health care (t_hlth_care)