Medical Tourism in Germany

Medical tourism in Germany has returned to a stable equilibrium after the entry restrictions and the pandemic. The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H‑BRS) analyzed the figures for 2021. According to the analysis, nearly 65 percent of all foreign patients now come from neighboring countries.

The balance of the federal states varies greatly. The Medical Tourism Research Center at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University analyzed data from around 155,100 patients who were treated either inpatient or outpatient in Germany in 2021. "Every year, millions of people choose treatment in foreign clinics, because, for example, the medical care in their home country is inadequate or unavailable, the path to a specialist in the neighboring country is shorter than in their own country, or the treatment abroad is significantly cheaper than at home.

Cross-border use of medical services is one of the consequences of increasing globalization. Around 30 countries worldwide are heavily engaged in the medical tourism sector, and another 70 nations have individual clinics that attract international patients. For years, Germany has been one of the leading medical tourism destinations worldwide, both in terms of the number of foreign patients treated and the quality of treatment and service.