Inpatient numbers of cancer hospitals in China 2010-2021

Between 2010 and 2021, the number of inpatients admitted to cancer hospitals in China increased by almost 150 percent, exceeding four million in 2021, with cancer hospitals among the busiest healthcare facilities in the country.

Growing prevalence of cancer and high demands for treatments

Cancer has become increasingly prevalent in China in recent years, making it one of the greatest challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector. In 2020, China reported more than 4.5 million new cancer cases, with the disease being one of the leading causes of death among Chinese citizens. The increasing prevalence of the disease resulted in the surging demand for cancer treatments in China. The number of patient visits to cancer hospitals in the country doubled in the past decade, and the occupancy rate of cancer hospital beds remained above 100 percent in most years.

More beds and better equipment

China’s cancer wards also expanded substantially to meet the needs of the patients. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of healthcare professionals in cancer hospitals, and the number of beds in oncology wards in China both increased by around 100 percent. The equipment of cancer hospitals was also modernized, with the total worth of high-value equipment increasing by over 300 percent between 2010 and 2020.