Hospitals at a glance 2017–18

Hospitals are an important part of Australia’s health landscape, providing services to many Australians each year. A summary measure of their significant role is the amount that is spent on them – an estimated $69 billion in 2016–17, about 4% of Australia’s gross domestic product, or $3,046 per person. Hospital spending has increased faster than inflation – up 2.8% each year (adjusted for inflation), on average, between 2011–12 and 2016–17.

This summary report presents an overview of statistics on access to our hospital services, the quality of the services, and their funding and management arrangements.