Hospitals in France 2013-2022
During the period analyzed, the number of hospitals in France continuously decreased, going from 3,122 hospitals in 2013 to 2,976 hospitals in 2022.
Employment in French hospitals
In 2022, more than a million people were employed in hospitals in France. Nurses accounted for the highest number of employees, followed by caregivers and administrative staff, with physicians accounting for around a tenth of the total. That year, approximately 30 percent of physician jobs in public hospitals were vacant, with specialties such as ophthalmology struggling to fill nearly half of all vacancies.
Health spending in France
In 2025, the French Health System accounted for just a small fraction of the public budget. In fact, only around 1.5 billion euros were destined for health, compared to 93 billion euros allocated to defense. Yet, the health spending per capita in France is one of the top ten highest among other develop countries. According to 2022 figures, around 6,517 U.S. dollars were spent per person in healthcare, of which 5,510 U.S. dollars were covered by the public health system.
