EUROSTAT - European Union Statistical Office
EUROSTAT - European Union Statistical Office
02/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/04/2026 04:02
EU hospitals released 5 million cancer patients in 2023
In 2023, hospitals across the EU discharged 4.9 million in-patients diagnosed with cancer. Among these patients, colorectal cancer was the most common diagnosis (554 112 hospital discharges; 11.2% of all discharged cancer patients), followed by lung cancer (506 372; 10.3%) and breast cancer (480 922; 9.7%).
Source dataset: hlth_tinpat1
In 18 EU countries, colorectal cancer was the leading diagnosis among discharged resident in-patients suffering from cancer. The discharge rate was highest in Croatia (360 discharged colorectal cancer patients per 100 000 inhabitants), Latvia (243) and Austria (239). In contrast, the lowest discharge rates were reported in Malta (31 patients per 100 000 inhabitants), Luxembourg (56) and Ireland (58).
Source dataset: hlth_rinpat2
This article marks World Cancer Day, observed annually on 4 February.
EUROSTAT - European Union Statistical Office published this content on February 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 04, 2026 at 10:02 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]