Japan Hospital Beds
Hospital beds per 1,000 people SH.MED.BEDS.ZS
Japan's hospital beds was 12.27 in 2025, ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 2.5% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Japan's hospital beds stood at 12.27 in 2025, a decline of +0.32 from 2022. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 12.27 by 2025. Japan ranked 2nd globally.
Japan’s hospital‑bed density rose from a low of 9.00 per 1,000 people in 1960 to an all‑time peak of 15.60 in 1993, reflecting post‑war expansion of public health infrastructure and a rapidly aging population. Over the subsequent three decades the stock of beds contracted, settling at 12.27 in 2025, the second‑highest level worldwide and still well above the 35‑year coverage average. By contrast, South Korea, a peer with a comparable health‑system profile, reports 13.15 beds per 1,000, while Belarus lags at 9.76, underscoring Japan’s relatively abundant capacity. The decline from the 1993 peak coincides with efficiency reforms, a shift toward outpatient care, and demographic pressures that have reduced demand for long‑term inpatient services. Continued advances in home‑based and tele‑medicine technologies, coupled with fiscal constraints, are likely to temper further growth in bed numbers, keeping Japan’s ratio modestly above the global median in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | Hospital Beds | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* trend | 12.27 | - | - |
| 2025 | 12.27 | −0.32 | #2 |
| 2022 | 12.59 | −0.01 | #2 |
| 2021 | 12.60 | −0.02 | #2 |
| 2020 | 12.62 | −0.17 | #2 |
| 2019 | 12.79 | −0.14 | #1 |
| 2018 | 12.93 | −0.08 | #1 |
| 2017 | 13.01 | −0.08 | #1 |
| 2016 | 13.09 | −0.06 | #1 |
| 2015 | 13.15 | −0.03 | #1 |
| 2014 | 13.18 | −0.09 | #2 |
| 2013 | 13.27 | −0.05 | #2 |
| 2012 | 13.32 | −0.05 | #2 |
| 2011 | 13.37 | −0.13 | #2 |
| 2010 | 13.50 | −0.10 | #3 |
| 2009 | 13.60 | −0.10 | #2 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Japan matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw hospital beds improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Japan's hospital beds was 12.27 in 2025. Ranked 2nd globally. This represents a 2.5% decrease from the previous year.
Japan's hospital beds peaked at 15.60 in 1993.
The lowest hospital beds in Japan was 9.00 in 1960.
Japan ranks 2nd globally in hospital beds as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SH.MED.BEDS.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Japan's hospital beds is projected to reach 12.27 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The hospital beds of Japan in 2025 was 12.27. This ranks 2nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_japan_hospital-beds,
title = {Japan Hospital Beds},
url = {https://historysaid.com/japan/hospital-beds/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}