U.S. hospital openings and closures, 2015 to 2025

Hospital closures have been increasing since 2015, according to a new study published in JAMA. Hospital closures increased by 4.0% year-over-year while openings decreased by 3.0% year-over-year between 2015 and 2025. Among 4,962 hospitals studied, 432 closed and 216 opened, leading to a net loss of 216 hospitals and 24,399 beds from 2015 to 2025. Of the closures, 315 hospitals closed fully and 117 retained outpatient services, including 45 rural emergency hospitals.