Typical rehabilitation length of stay around the world

Author: Dominik Zbogar | Reviewer: Giorgio Scivoletto | Published: 30 April 2025 | Updated: ~

Illustration accompanying Typical rehabilitation length of stay around the world

The LOS for SCI rehabilitation varies significantly between countries due to differences in healthcare systems, insurance models, resource availability, economic factors, cultural and social factors, and adaptation of evidence-based rehabilitation practices. These factors are discussed in detail in the next sections.

In this section, we show rehab LOS values for select countries around the world since 2010. The LOS is counted in average days (unless we indicate otherwise). Text descriptions provide details about subgroups while images provide a summary value.

North America

United States (2020 – 2023)

41 days (median)

Canada (2021)

Traumatic SCI:

  • Complete tetraplegia: 112
  • Incomplete tetraplegia: 82
  • Complete paraplegia: 73
  • Incomplete paraplegia: 65

Non-traumatic SCI

Complete tetraplegia: 95

Incomplete tetraplegia: 67

Complete paraplegia: 70

Incomplete paraplegia 55

Europe

Germany (2013­­­­­­­­ – 2016)

57.7

Italy (1996 – 2020)

With complications: 180.4 (93)

Without complications: 154.5 (85)

Norway (2012 – 2016)

120

Switzerland (2013 – 2014)

135 (median)

Middle East

Saudi Arabia (2009 – 2014)

  • Traumatic SCI: 85
  • Non-traumatic SCI: 64

Asia

China (2010 – 2019)

113.5

Australia (2010 – 2011)

130 (median)