Evolution in Hospital Bed Capacity in Hungary and Romania Between 1980 and 2020 With Special Focus on Regions Inhabited by Ethnic Minorities
Author(s)
Attila Dénes Orbán, MSc1, Árpád Antal, MSc2, Gyula Jozsef Nagy, MSc1, Attila Vas Tifán, MD1, Kinga Szentendrey, MD1, Edina Eross, MD1, András Attila Mezei, MSc1, Imre Boncz, MSc, PhD, MD3.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary, 3Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
1Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary, 2University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary, 3Institute for Health Insurance, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
OBJECTIVES: Inpatient care is one of the most resource-intensive components of healthcare systems. In Eastern Europe, the socio-political transformations of 1990 and the EU accession processes (2004-2007) significantly impacted hospital capacity. This study examines trends in hospital bed availability in Hungary and Romania between 1980-2020, with a focus on regional disparities, particularly in Transylvania, a region with a significant Hungarian minority.
METHODS: The data used for this analysis were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) Health for All database, as well as from the databases of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and the Romanian National Institute of Statistics. We examined changes in the total number of hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants and regional disparities within each country. The analysis covers the period between 1980 and 2015. In Romania, three historical regions were studied: Transylvania (with a significant Hungarian minority presence), Moldova, and Muntenia.
RESULTS: Between 1980 and 2020, the total number of hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants decreased by 22.2% in Hungary and by 20.24% in Romania, following the political transition of 1990. From 2000 onward, both countries maintained higher bed ratios than the average of WHO European Region countries. Throughout the examined period, Hungary consistently reported 5-15% higher bed ratios compared to Romania. Within Romania, hospital bed capacity peaked between 1979 and 1990. Transylvania registered the highest values (1,001 beds/100,000 inhabitants), followed by Moldova (903) and Wallachia (899). Hospital bed numbers in Transylvania approached those of Hungary.
CONCLUSIONS: In both Hungary and Romania, the number of hospital beds decreased significantly following the 1990 sociopolitical shifts and during the EU accession period. While Romania’s hospital bed ratio remained lower than Hungary’s throughout most of the study period, by 2019-2020 the values converged. Notably, Transylvania exhibited hospital bed ratios comparable to those of Hungary.
METHODS: The data used for this analysis were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) Health for All database, as well as from the databases of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and the Romanian National Institute of Statistics. We examined changes in the total number of hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants and regional disparities within each country. The analysis covers the period between 1980 and 2015. In Romania, three historical regions were studied: Transylvania (with a significant Hungarian minority presence), Moldova, and Muntenia.
RESULTS: Between 1980 and 2020, the total number of hospital beds per 100,000 inhabitants decreased by 22.2% in Hungary and by 20.24% in Romania, following the political transition of 1990. From 2000 onward, both countries maintained higher bed ratios than the average of WHO European Region countries. Throughout the examined period, Hungary consistently reported 5-15% higher bed ratios compared to Romania. Within Romania, hospital bed capacity peaked between 1979 and 1990. Transylvania registered the highest values (1,001 beds/100,000 inhabitants), followed by Moldova (903) and Wallachia (899). Hospital bed numbers in Transylvania approached those of Hungary.
CONCLUSIONS: In both Hungary and Romania, the number of hospital beds decreased significantly following the 1990 sociopolitical shifts and during the EU accession period. While Romania’s hospital bed ratio remained lower than Hungary’s throughout most of the study period, by 2019-2020 the values converged. Notably, Transylvania exhibited hospital bed ratios comparable to those of Hungary.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
HPR79
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Topic Subcategory
Health Disparities & Equity, Insurance Systems & National Health Care
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas