Number of hospitals in Germany 2000-2023

The number of hospitals in Germany has been decreasing every year, amounting to 1,874 in 2023. By comparison, there were 2,242 hospitals in 2000. Hospital reformWhile there can be many reasons for a hospital closing, in Germany most of them have to do with the so-called ongoing hospital reform (Krankenhausreform) or the hospital structure law (Krankenhausstrukturgesetz). A summary of explanations from the government involves falling rural inhabitant numbers, which may lead to rural hospitals closing, and an aging population in general, therefore making it a necessity to check hospitals for being up-to-date in terms of equipment, staff and availability. Future remains to be seenOn a positive note, statutory health insurance spending on hospital treatments in Germany has been increasing during the last decade, covering more than 88 million euros in 2022. The long-term effects of the hospital reform remain to be seen, as opening a new hospital after a closing, deciding on locations in rural areas, refurbishing working hospitals and hiring staff takes time and resources.

德国医院数量逐年递减，至2023年已降至1,874家。相较之下，2000年德国拥有2,242家医院。医院改革方面，尽管医院关闭的原因可能众多，但在德国，其中大部分与所谓的持续进行的医院改革（Krankenhausreform）或医院结构法（Krankenhausstrukturgesetz）密切相关。政府提供的解释摘要涉及农村居民数量的下降，可能导致农村医院关闭，以及总体人口老龄化，因此有必要检查医院在设备、人员及可用性方面的现代化程度。未来效果尚待观察。另一方面，德国法定健康保险对医院治疗的支出在过去十年中持续增加，2022年已超过8.8亿欧元。医院改革的长期影响尚待观察，因为医院关闭后的新医院开设、农村地区的选址、现有医院的翻新以及人员的招聘均需耗费时间和资源。