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Canadian hospitalizations: more than Mexico but less than anywhere else

Yesterday I noted the low rate of hospitalization in Canada and especially Ontario.  Recent data  from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD -- an organization for the world's richest nations) indicates that Mexico in fact has the lowest rate of hospitalizations amongst the 34 OECD "economically developed" nations.

Now whether Mexico is actually economically comparable to the USA, Japan, Europe, etc. is another question.  But if we do include Mexico, Canada is the second lowest amongst the 34 OECD "economically developed" countries.

Based on 2008 data, the average number of discharges per 100 population was 8.4 in Canada.  The average for all 34 of the OECD nations was practically double that -- 15.7 

As noted yesterday, Ontario has the lowest level of hospitalizations of all the provinces in Canada.   We are not  quite at Mexican levels, but we are getting there.


HEALTH CARE ACTIVITIES
Discharge rates by diagnostic categories, All causes, Per 100 000 population

2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Australia
16011
16218
16360
16243
..
Austria
26120
26416
26609
26677
26453
Belgium
17429
17364
17255
..
..
Canada
8712.4
8554.3
8425.6
8403.4
..
Chile
10006
9967.4
9837.8
..
..
Czech Republic
20919
..
..
..
19493
Denmark
17221
17266
17171
16681
17032
Estonia
17350
17714
17754
17791
16984
Finland
20130
19624
19008
18834
18441
France
27134
27596
26543
26431
26251
Germany
21826
22038
22690
23242
23658
Greece
18791
19050
..
..
..
Hungary
23432
22663
18963
18438
18502
Iceland
17244
16005
15404
15482
14082
Ireland
13664
13771
13799
13512
13236
Israel
15131
15106
14945
14825
14638
Italy
13977
13768
13330
13227
13021
Japan
10550
..
..
10709
..
Korea
13216
..
..
16173
15828
Luxembourg
17790
17578
17368
17444
16784
Mexico
5241
5486
5528
5768
5760
Netherlands
10414
10689
10931
11292
11663
New Zealand
13562
13762
13934
14161
..
Norway
17519
17689
17235
17179
17721
Poland
16495
17710
17503
17774
20107
Portugal
9066.1
10112
10216
10824
11250
Slovak Republic
19804
19942
19089
20760
21100
Slovenia
15358
15781
15959
16008
15953
Spain
10780
10724
10660
10559
10411
Sweden
16151
16255
16448
16477
16589
Switzerland
15898
16103
16636
16920
16837
Turkey
..
..
10019
11112
13317
United Kingdom
13711
13503
13490
13762
13798
United States
13073
13019
12743
13086
..
OECD Average
15870
16049
15528
15660
16496
Source: OECD Health Data 2011
http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=HEALTH_PROC

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