ESTIMATION OF FAIRNESS OF DISTRIBUTION OF HUNGARIAN HOSPITAL BEDS BY CALCULATING GINI COEFFICIENT

Author(s)

Diána Elmer, BSc, MSc, PhD1, Tímea Csákvári, BSc, MSc, PhD2, István Ágoston, JD, PhD, Habil1, Dalma Pónusz-Kovács, BSc, MSc1, Zsuzsanna Kívés, BSc, MSc, PhD1, Luca Kovács, BSc1, Codula Azucséna Guziczi, BSc1, Imre Boncz, MD, MSc, PhD, Habil1;
1University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Health Insurance, Pécs, Hungary, 2University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Health Insurance, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the changes in the hospital beds and its spatial inequalities as well as to estimate the fairness of their distribution by calculating Gini coefficient in Hungary between 2000-2024.
METHODS: Data on hospital beds in operation and population were obtained for the period 2000-2024 from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office database. We determined the number of hospital beds in operation per 1,000 population and 1,000 square kilometers nationally and by each county. We calculated the corresponding Gini coefficient values and drew the Lorenz curve for the years 2000 and 2024. The fairness of distribution of beds was calculated by both population and service area.
RESULTS: In Hungary, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 population decreased from 8.3 to 6.4 (-23.0%) between 2000-2024. In 2000 and 2024, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 population was the highest in Budapest (13.1; 9.3), while the lowest in Pest County (4.1; 2.2). Hospital beds per 1,000 square kilometers decreased from 896.9 to 659.0 (-26.5%) in Hungary between 2000-2024. In 2000 and 2024, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 square kilometers was the highest in Budapest (45,055.3; 29,847.1), while the lowest in Somogy County (399.7; 280.3). The distribution of hospital beds based on population showed near-perfect equality both in 2000 (G=0.0010) and 2024 (G=0.0998). Based on service area, the distribution of hospital beds remained highly unfair (G=0.8170; G=0.8053).
CONCLUSIONS: In Hungary, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 population showed a decreasing tendency (-23.0 %) between 2000 and 2024. The distribution of hospital beds on a population basis showed equality, but on a service area basis, usual inequality, both in 2000 and in 2024.

Conference/Value in Health Info

2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6

Code

EPH43

Topic

Epidemiology & Public Health

Topic Subcategory

Public Health

Disease

No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas

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