What are hospitals spending on?

Text version of infographic

  • The largest single expense in Canadian hospitals is employee compensation, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all expenses (63.3% in 2020–2021). 
  • Among direct patient care services, the nursing ward accounts for the largest share of hospital spending at 18.9%, followed by Support Services at 18.4% and Other Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services at 12.7%.
  • Since 2005, total hospital spending has grown at an average annual rate of 4%.
By type of expense 2020–2021
Compensation 63.3%
Supplies 11.4%
Sundry 6.3%
Equipment 5.4%
Drugs in Hospital 4.9%
Buildings and Grounds 4.8%
Contracted-Out Services 4.0%

 

By service area 2020–2021
Nursing Inpatient Services 18.9%
Support Services 18.4%
Other Diagnostic and Therapeutic 12.7%
Research, Education and Other 10.1%
Other Ambulatory Care Services 8.5%
Operating Room 6.3%
Administrative Services 5.1%
Intensive Care Nursing Unit 4.6%
Emergency 4.5%
Medical Imaging 4.4%
Community Health Services 4.3%
Long-Term Care Nursing Unit 2.1%

Note

National totals exclude Quebec and Nunavut.

Source

Canadian MIS Database (current as of March 24, 2022), Canadian Institute for Health Information.

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