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Funding sources The general hospital sector recorded a total turn-over of €25 billion in 2023[1]. his represents an increase of 23.5% since 2016. |
“The general hospital sector recorded a total turnover of €25 billion in 2023.”
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Evolution of general hospital turnover
The main sources of financing for hospitals are the Financial Resources Budget (FRB) (37.1%), the deductions from the fees of doctors, dentists and certain categories of medical and paramedical staff (35.8%), pharmaceutical and similar products (21.5%), the fixed charges of NIHDI (4.4%), room supplements (0.5%) and additional products (0.2%).
Breakdown of turn-over (2023)
The Financial Resources Budget
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The financing of a hospital through the Financial Resources Budget results from the individual distribution of the overall hospital budget amongst all hospitals[2]. In January 2025, this overall budget was set at a maximum amount of €9.62 billion for the general hospitals. The FRB has increased by 40% over the past ten years from 6.89 billion in 2020 to 9.62 billion in 2025. |
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Evolution FRB general hospitals on Jan. 1
The FRB has three main components: an infrastructure and materials budget (Part A)[3] , an operating costs budget (Part B) and a budget for the retrospective regularisation of funding for the various parts of the FRB (Part C). Hospital funding is mainly based on fixed amounts, real costs or on a fee-for-service system.
No specific funding is currently provided in the FRB at locoregional network level. Indeed, by means of a recommendation by the Federal Council of Hospital Facilities, the sector has indicated that before considering structural funding at network level, it will be necessary to achieve the following:
- Clarification of locoregional and supra-regional care assignments
- Stabilisation of governance within current networks
- Integration of elements relating to the current reform of hospital funding.
However, several projects are already obtaining funding through the FRB. These projects operate at network level or encourage consultation and coordination between different hospitals. The following are just a selection of these projects:
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HOST 17,1 million euros The Hospital Outbreak Support Teams were established to strengthen infection control and antimicrobial stewardship teams. Their aim is to strengthen cooperation between hospitals within the locoregional network, as well as to promote knowledge transfer between all partners involved. |
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Data capabilities 20 million euros This project is intended to encourage hospitals to establish processes that promote collaboration within networks. It is designed to support hospitals in their joint digital transformation. Projects should focus on turning raw data into valuable information that provides added value to patients and in terms of public health. |
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Training breastfeeding 401,000 euros Since 2023, funding has been offered to all locoregional networks to support the training of maternity nurses on the subject of breastfeeding and developmental care. The aim is to encourage the exchange of experience and expertise in this field between hospitals and to allow the sharing of certain costs related to this training. |
[1] Source: FPS Public Health (undated). Finhosta. [Dataset]
[2] The distribution is carried out based on the procedures laid down in the Royal Decree of 25 April 2002 on the fixing and settlement of the financial resources budget of hospitals.
[3] We note that under the sixth state reform, authority pertaining to infrastructure financing (Parts A1 and A3) was transferred to the communities and regions. These budgets are disbursed through the FRB but are charged to the federated entities.