Eurostat: Bulgaria has EU’s highest ratio of hospital beds per population size
Among European Union countries, Bulgaria reported the highest ratio of hospital beds relative to its population size in 2024, with an average of 870 per 100 000 people, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on July 13.
In 2024, the EU had 507 hospital beds per 100 000 people, a small decrease from the 511 registered in 2023.
The number of hospital beds has been decreasing since the time series started in 2009 (582 hospital beds per 100 000 people), reflecting the impact of scientific and technological developments that shortened the average length of stay for many in-patient procedures or replaced them with out-patient or day care alternatives, Eurostat said.
In second place after Bulgaria was Germany (759), Romania (731), Austria (655) and Czechia (639).
Conversely, six EU countries had less than 300 hospital beds per 100 000 people, marking the lowest ratios: Sweden (187), the Netherlands (221), Denmark (226), Finland (248), Spain (283) and Ireland (293).
In terms of long-term care beds in nursing and other residential long-term care facilities, in 2024, the highest rates were registered in the Netherlands (1390 long-term care beds per 100 000 people), Sweden (1298) and Belgium (1249).
Greece (20 long-term care beds per 100 000 people) and Bulgaria (26) registered the lowest rates, followed by Portugal (94), Eurostat said.
(Photo of Tsarista Joanna Hospital in Sofia: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
