Number of public hospitals Australia FY 2023, by type

In financial year 2023, there were 678 public non-psychiatric hospitals across Australia. That same year, there were 22 public psychiatric hospitals across the country.

Hospitals and beds

Many of Australia’s public hospitals can be found outside of the major cities. A large number of public hospitals are located in regional and remote areas of the country. Generally speaking, the number of hospitals is proportional to the population size of the state or territory. This is also true of the number of beds in public hospitals, with large states like New South Wales having around 21 thousand beds, while smaller states like Tasmania have only around 1.6 thousand available beds. 

Doctors and nurses

A health care system also requires well-trained medical professionals to function. In Australia, there are a large number of general practitioners who practice in a full-time equivalent role. In addition, the number of registered nurses and midwives in Australia has risen over the years, with around 390 thousand nurses working across the nation in 2023.