Denmark: Hospital beds (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Denmark's hospital beds (per 1,000 people) fell 0.05 on 2022 (from 2.48 to 2.43).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2022), the average change was −0.1 and a typical year strayed about 0.1 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.2 in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.7 in 1987. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.02 a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Denmark had the 41st highest value of the 71 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Denmark in the 2023 ranking

• Seychelles — 38th of 71: 2.63
• New Zealand — 39th of 71: 2.51
• Uruguay — 40th of 71: 2.44
• Saudi Arabia — 42nd of 71: 2.41
• Thailand — 43rd of 71: 2.39
• Trinidad and Tobago — 44th of 71: 2.37

What this measures

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.

Limitations: Depending on the source and means of monitoring, data may not be exactly comparable across countries. For more information, see the original source.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 51 values

Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Albania — 2.9 (2020)
• Armenia — 4.24 (2023)
• Austria — 6.7 (2022)
• Azerbaijan — 3.68 (2023)
• Belarus — 9.77 (2023)
• Belgium — 5.42 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 2.35 (2019)
• Bulgaria — 8.2 (2023)
• Croatia — 5.6 (2023)
• Cyprus — 2.15 (2022)
• Czechia — 6.54 (2022)

More health data for Denmark

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.91% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.24% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 455,208 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 15.06% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 479,938 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 16.07% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 935,146 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 15.56% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 5.11% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Denmark's hospital beds (per 1,000 people)?

2.43 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 70% from 8.1 in 1970 (2.25% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 8.6 in 1976 and the lowest 2.43 in 2023.

How does Denmark rank?

41st highest of 71 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in hospital beds (per 1,000 people) unusual for Denmark?

In 2023, Denmark's hospital beds (per 1,000 people) fell 0.05 on 2022 (from 2.48 to 2.43). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2022), the average change was −0.1 and a typical year strayed about 0.1 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.MED.BEDS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: WHO data, supplemented by country data, World Health Organization (WHO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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