Hospitalizations in Canada remained stable in 2023–2024
New data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) indicates that hospitalizations and lengths of hospital stays in Canada are remaining stable.
The data presented in this latest release, Hospital stays in Canada, 2023–2024, shows that last year’s hospitalization rate remained nearly unchanged from the previous year’s rate (6,992 hospitalizations per 100,000 population in 2023–2024, similar to 7,000 per 100,000 population in 2022–2023). There were 3,051,855 total hospitalizations in Canada last year.
Similarly, the average length of stay in Canadian hospitals also remained unchanged — 7.3 days in 2023–2024, which is consistent with 2022–2023 data.
Although we continue to see substantial volumes of hospital visits, overall hospitalization rates for childhood respiratory illnesses in Canada decreased in 2023–2024, with the most significant decrease (43%) seen in children age 0 to 4 being hospitalized for pneumonia (5,700 in 2023–2024, down from 9,900 in 2022–2023).
Although decreases were also seen for this age category over the same period for acute bronchitis, asthma and acute upper respiratory infections (down by 35%, 27% and 24%, respectively), we continued to see substantial volumes of hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses.
Meanwhile, large increases were seen in hospitalizations for pneumonia in people age 18 to 64, representing a nearly 17% increase (17,447 hospitalizations in 2023–2024, up from 14,937 in 2022–2023).
The top 5 reasons for hospitalization remained largely unchanged from the previous year and are as follows:
Top 5 reasons for hospitalization in Canada in 2023–2024
| Diagnosis | Number of hospitalizations | Percentage of hospitalizations | Average acute length of stay (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Giving birth | 344,811 | 11.3 | 2.1 |
| 2. COPD and bronchitis | 76,968 | 2.5 | 7.1 |
| 3. Heart failure | 70,590 | 2.3 | 9.6 |
| 4. Pneumonia | 66,128 | 2.2 | 6.9 |
| 5. Osteoarthritis of the knee | 65,252 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
“Tracking and reporting health data is essential in times of both crisis and stability,” said Juliana Wu, Director, Acute and Ambulatory Care Information Services, CIHI. “As Canada’s rates of hospitalization show signs of stabilizing, we will continue to monitor these trends to provide health system planning partners with information to support evidence-based decisions.”
Quick link
- Hospital stays in Canada, 2023–2024: Key findings, data tables and methodology notes
How to cite:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. Hospitalizations in Canada remained stable in 2023–2024. Accessed April 25, 2025.
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