Bulgaria Has the EU’s Highest Number of Hospital Beds Per Capita - Novinite. com - EUROPE SAYS
Bulgaria recorded the highest number of hospital beds per population among all European Union countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat. The country had an average of 870 hospital beds per. . .
Bulgaria recorded the highest number of hospital beds per population among all European Union countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat. The country had an average of 870 hospital beds per 100,000 residents, placing it ahead of Germany, Romania, Austria and Czechia. The EU average stood at 507 hospital beds per 100,000 people last year, slightly lower than the 511 beds recorded in 2023. Eurostat noted that the long-term trend across the bloc has been a decline in the number of hospital beds. Since the beginning of the statistical series in 2009, when the EU average was 582 beds per 100,000 people, the figures have steadily fallen. According to the EU statistics agency, the reduction reflects changes in healthcare systems driven by medical and technological progress. Many procedures that previously required longer hospital stays can now be carried out through outpatient treatment or day care services, reducing the need for traditional inpatient beds. After Bulgaria, the highest hospital bed ratios in 2024 were recorded in Germany with 759 beds per 100,000 people, Romania with 731, Austria with 655 and Czechia with 639. At the opposite end of the ranking, six EU countries reported fewer than 300 hospital beds per 100,000 residents. Sweden had the lowest ratio at 187 beds, followed by the Netherlands with 221, Denmark with 226, Finland with 248, Spain with 283 and Ireland with 293. Despite having the highest number of hospital beds relative to its population, Bulgaria ranked among the countries with the fewest long-term care beds. In nursing homes and other residential facilities providing long-term care, the country recorded only 26 beds per 100,000 people in 2024, the second-lowest figure in the EU. Greece had the lowest level of long-term care beds, with just 20 per 100,000 residents, while Portugal followed Bulgaria with 94 beds. In contrast, the highest availability of long-term care facilities was reported in the Netherlands, with 1,390 beds per 100,000 people, followed by Sweden with 1,298 and Belgium with 1,249. The data show a significant difference between the structure of hospital care and long-term care services across the EU, with some countries relying on larger hospital capacity while others have developed more extensive residential care systems for elderly and long-term patients.