General hospital beds in Poland 2008-2022

During the observed period, the number of beds in general hospitals in Poland fluctuated. The highest increase in the number of beds was recorded in 2012, amounting to 188.8 thousand. In 2022, general hospitals in Poland had 164.2 thousand, marking a decrease of 4.3 thousand beds compared to the previous year.

Polish health sector

The number of hospital beds in Poland may have fallen, but over the same period, the number of hospitals in the country has actually increased. Going from 820 hospitals in 2003 to 1,242 in 2021. Additionally, the density of physicians has increased over the last decade, growing from 2.14 practicing physicians per 1,000 inhabitants in 2005 to 3.44 in 2021.

Expenditure on healthcare

In Poland, as in other European countries, healthcare expenditures are increasing yearly. In 2021, consumer spending on health amounted to 104 billion zloty, twice as much as in 2010. The same situation occurred in the case of consumption expenditure on medical products, appliances, and equipment. The value of customer spending on medical products was 71.1 billion zloty in 2021, which was three times more than the expenditure in 2010. A similar situation occurred for costs for outpatient services, where household consumption expenditure amounted to 29.9 billion in 2021, which was more than double that of 2010.