U.S. hospital bed occupancy rate 1960-2019

In 2019, the occupancy rate of hospitals in the U.S. stood at 64.4 percent. Hospitals are a cornerstone of health services in any country and also contribute considerably to the economy. Nevertheless, the number of hospitals in the U.S. has decreased in recent years.

Number of hospitals

In 2019, there were around 6,090 hospitals in operation in the U.S., compared to 6,291 hospitals in the year 1995. There has been a decline in the number of hospitals in the U.S. starting as far back as the 1970s, despite a growing overall population and increasing elderly population. The highest number of hospitals are non-profit, while a smaller proportion are for-profit or state/government hospitals.

Economic impact

Hospitals contribute to an economy in many ways. In 2016, this total contribution in the U.S. was around 2.97 trillion dollars. At that time, hospitals contributed just over one trillion dollars in wages and salaries. As of 2020, there were an estimated 7.3 million people employed in hospitals across the United States.