Health in Lower Saxony, Germany: official figures
Life expectancy at birth was 80.6 years in 2024 (81.2 for Germany); 12th highest of 16 states in Germany.
How many hospitals are there in Lower Saxony?
Lower Saxony had 167 hospitals in 2024: 48 publicly owned, 59 run by non-profit bodies and 60 private.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow long is the average hospital stay in Lower Saxony?
The average hospital stay in Lower Saxony lasted 7.0 days in 2024 and beds were 73.1% occupied on average, against 7.1 days and 72.0% nationally.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many hospital doctors are there in Lower Saxony?
Hospitals in Lower Saxony employed 17,262 doctors at the end of 2024, 216 per 100,000 residents compared with 261 across Germany.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyWhat is the caesarean section rate in Lower Saxony?
33.9% of the women who gave birth in a hospital in Lower Saxony in 2024 had a caesarean section, 5th highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 33.0%).
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copyHow many people smoke in Lower Saxony?
19.1% of people aged 15 and over in Lower Saxony smoked at least occasionally in 2025 (Germany: 19.1%), and 18.7% of adults were obese (Germany: 16.7%).
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyWhat is the death rate in Lower Saxony?
The age-standardised death rate from all causes was 1,040.4 per 100,000 people in 2021 (Germany: 1,045.2; EU: 1,073.4); 8th lowest of 16 states in Germany. Age-standardised rates allow fair comparison between places with older and younger populations.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of cancer in Lower Saxony?
The age-standardised cancer death rate was 241.9 per 100,000 in 2023 (Germany: 234.8; EU: 233.1); 7th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 255.3.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of heart disease in Lower Saxony?
The age-standardised death rate from heart attacks, strokes and other circulatory diseases was 383.1 per 100,000 in 2023 (Germany: 349.7; EU: 312.9); 5th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 433.8.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of respiratory disease in Lower Saxony?
Respiratory diseases caused 85.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised) (Germany: 73.3; EU: 75.2); the highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 82.0.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the suicide rate in Lower Saxony?
The age-standardised suicide rate was 10.4 per 100,000 in 2023 (Germany: 11.4; EU: 10.4); 5th lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 12.2.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die in accidents in Lower Saxony?
Accidents, injuries, violence and other external causes killed 36.3 per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised) (Germany: 51.8; EU: 49.4); the lowest of 16 states in Germany. In 2015 it was 39.3.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the infant mortality rate in Lower Saxony?
3.7 babies in every 1,000 born alive died before their first birthday in 2023 (Germany: 3.2; EU: 3.3); 3rd highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2013 it was 3.7.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die on the roads in Lower Saxony?
There were 43 road deaths per million people in 2024, against 33 for Germany as a whole; 5th highest of 16 states in Germany. In 2014 it was 57.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is life expectancy for men and women in Lower Saxony?
Women in Lower Saxony could expect to live to 82.8 and men to 78.4 at 2024 death rates, a gap of 4.4 years.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow long do people live after 65 in Lower Saxony?
People who reached 65 could expect 19.3 more years of life in 2024 (Germany: 19.7).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Hospitals in Lower Saxony treated 1,535,350 inpatient cases in 2024, or 19,177 per 100,000 residents, 3rd lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 21,009). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- Lower Saxony had 26.7 intensive-care hospital beds per 100,000 people in 2024 (2,135 beds), 3rd lowest of 16 Länder (Germany: 31.1). Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) · saved copy
- Premature mortality in Lower Saxony was 282 deaths per 100,000 men and 163 per 100,000 women under 70 in 2024, against 265 and 145 nationally; the male rate was 8th highest of 16 Länder. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How Lower Saxony compares with other states
Hospital inpatient cases per 100,000 residents (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 14 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Hospital inpatient cases per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Bavaria | 20,409 |
| 11 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 20,385 |
| 12 | Hesse | 20,103 |
| 13 | Brandenburg | 19,524 |
| 14 | Lower Saxony | 19,177 |
| 15 | Schleswig-Holstein | 18,253 |
| 16 | Baden-Württemberg | 17,078 |
Average length of hospital stay (days) (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average length of hospital stay (days) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Saxony | 7.1 |
| 9 | Thuringia | 7.0 |
| 10 | Saxony-Anhalt | 7.0 |
| 11 | Lower Saxony | 7.0 |
| 12 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 6.9 |
| 13 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 6.8 |
| 14 | Saarland | 6.8 |
Intensive-care beds per 100,000 residents (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 14 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Intensive-care beds per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Hesse | 29.7 |
| 11 | Bremen | 28.8 |
| 12 | Bavaria | 28.0 |
| 13 | Brandenburg | 27.4 |
| 14 | Lower Saxony | 26.7 |
| 15 | Schleswig-Holstein | 26.6 |
| 16 | Baden-Württemberg | 24.8 |
Deaths under 70 per 100,000 men (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 8 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths under 70 per 100,000 men |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Brandenburg | 300 |
| 6 | Saxony | 299 |
| 7 | Saarland | 295 |
| 8 | Lower Saxony | 282 |
| 9 | Berlin | 274 |
| 10 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 273 |
| 11 | Schleswig-Holstein | 272 |
Share of people 15+ who smoke (2025)
Lower Saxony ranks 10 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people 15+ who smoke |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Berlin | 20.0% |
| 8 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 19.4% |
| 9 | Hesse | 19.2% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 19.1% |
| 11 | Brandenburg | 18.9% |
| 12 | Saarland | 18.7% |
| 13 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 18.1% |
Share of adults with obesity (BMI over 30) (2025)
Lower Saxony ranks 5 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of adults with obesity (BMI over 30) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bremen | 20.1% |
| 3 | Saarland | 19.3% |
| 4 | Saxony-Anhalt | 19.1% |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 18.7% |
| 6 | Schleswig-Holstein | 18.6% |
| 7 | Brandenburg | 18.5% |
| 8 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 18.2% |
Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) (2021)
Lower Saxony ranks 9 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Brandenburg | 1,113.3 |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 1,056.1 |
| 8 | Bremen | 1,054.3 |
| 9 | Lower Saxony | 1,040.4 |
| 10 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 1,027.7 |
| 11 | Schleswig-Holstein | 1,014.6 |
| 12 | Bavaria | 1,012.1 |
Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 10 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Berlin | 244.6 |
| 8 | Brandenburg | 244.6 |
| 9 | Saarland | 242.8 |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 241.9 |
| 11 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 237.1 |
| 12 | Saxony | 232.1 |
| 13 | Hesse | 230.2 |
Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 5 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 397.3 |
| 3 | Thuringia | 394.4 |
| 4 | Saxony | 384.5 |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 383.1 |
| 6 | Brandenburg | 376.9 |
| 7 | Schleswig-Holstein | 369.6 |
| 8 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 364.5 |
Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 1 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Saxony | 85.9 |
| 2 | Saarland | 83.5 |
| 3 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 82.9 |
| 4 | Hamburg | 81.5 |
| 5 | Berlin | 80.5 |
| 6 | Bremen | 77.9 |
| 7 | Thuringia | 75.5 |
Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 12 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Hesse | 12.0 |
| 10 | Baden-Württemberg | 11.5 |
| 11 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 11.3 |
| 12 | Lower Saxony | 10.4 |
| 13 | Thuringia | 10.3 |
| 14 | Brandenburg | 9.9 |
| 15 | Saarland | 9.4 |
Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 16 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Thuringia | 50.2 |
| 11 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 49.5 |
| 12 | Saarland | 49.2 |
| 13 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 48.0 |
| 14 | Hesse | 48.0 |
| 15 | Bremen | 47.1 |
| 16 | Lower Saxony | 36.3 |
Infant deaths per 1,000 live births (2023)
Lower Saxony ranks 3 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Infant deaths per 1,000 live births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bremen | 4.7 |
| 2 | Saarland | 3.9 |
| 3 | Lower Saxony | 3.7 |
| 4 | Thuringia | 3.7 |
| 5 | Hamburg | 3.7 |
| 6 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 3.5 |
| 7 | Brandenburg | 3.3 |
Road deaths per million people (2024)
Lower Saxony ranks 5 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Road deaths per million people |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Saxony-Anhalt | 52 |
| 3 | Thuringia | 46 |
| 4 | Brandenburg | 45 |
| 5 | Lower Saxony | 43 |
| 6 | Bavaria | 37 |
| 7 | Saxony | 36 |
| 8 | Hesse | 32 |
More on Lower Saxony: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Germany
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
- Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis): Statistischer Bericht: Grunddaten der Krankenhäuser 2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ede95ab59dc…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren): Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren der Länder: Tabellenband mit kompletten Zeitreihen zu allen Indikatoren (October 2026 edition), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f3f1b692389…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.