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# How Chinese Hospitals Are Classified: Public, Private and "Class 3A"
- URL: https://www.alifahealth.com/chinese-hospital-classification/
- Published: 2026-10-26T18:00:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-31T06:46:34.000Z
- Description: What "public", "private" and "Class 3A" mean for hospitals in China: how hospitals are graded, which national titles they can hold, and how to check a hospital yourself.
- Author: Alifa Health Editorial Team
- Tags: Planning Your Trip, Guides, #grp-classification-china

When you look for a hospital in China, you will see words like "public", "private" and "Class 3A". These words are normal for Chinese people, but new for most visitors. This guide explains them in simple words. It also shows you how to check a hospital yourself.

1. [Public and private hospitals](#public-private)
2. [What "Class 3A" means](#class-3a)
3. [The yearly check of large public hospitals](#yearly-check)
4. [National titles](#national-titles)
5. [International accreditation](#accreditation)
6. [How to check a hospital yourself](#check)
7. [Chinese words you will see](#words)
8. [Common questions](#faq)

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

__Key facts on Chinese hospitals (checked 26 October 2026)__
| Topic                  | What the official source says                                 | Issued by                                                 | Date       |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| Hospitals in China     | China had 38,710 hospitals at the end of 2024                 | National Health Commission                                | 2025-12-01 |
| The top grade          | Only 1,876 of them have the top grade, "Class 3A"             | National Health Commission                                | 2025-12-01 |
| How long a grade lasts | A hospital grade lasts four years, and a hospital can lose it | Ministry of Health                                        | 2011-09-21 |
| Private hospitals      | Private hospitals can get the same grades as public hospitals | National Health Commission and nine other national bodies | 2019-06-10 |

## Public and private hospitals

China counts every hospital as either public or private.

- **Public hospitals** (公立医院) belong to the state or to local collectives.
- **Private hospitals** (民营医院) are all the others. Hospitals with foreign owners also count as private.

At the end of 2024, China had 11,754 public hospitals and 26,956 private hospitals.

Public hospitals charge prices from official lists set by the provincial government. Special-needs and international services can cost more. Our guide to Chinese Hospital Service Levels explains how this works.

### Non-profit and for-profit

Every hospital is also either non-profit or for-profit.

- A **non-profit** hospital must spend any extra money on itself, for example on new equipment or new services.
- A **for-profit** hospital can pay its profits to its owners.

The government does not run for-profit hospitals. Hospitals built by Chinese and foreign partners together are usually for-profit.

### Types of hospitals

You will see these hospital types in China:

- **General hospitals** treat many kinds of illness.
- **Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospitals** use traditional methods, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture. China had 5,263 TCM hospitals at the end of 2024.
- **Integrated hospitals** use both Chinese and Western medicine.
- **Ethnic-medicine hospitals** use the traditional medicine of China's minority peoples.
- **Specialty hospitals** focus on one area, such as children, eyes or cancer.
- **Rehabilitation hospitals** help patients recover after illness or surgery.

Some hospitals belong to the army or the armed police. They have their own management, separate from the normal health authorities.

### Hospitals with foreign owners

Since 1 November 2024, foreign companies may open hospitals that they fully own in nine places. These places are Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and all of Hainan Island.

These hospitals must be large (Class 3), and at least half of their managers and medical staff must be from mainland China. By August 2026, four of these hospitals were open, in Tianjin, Shanghai, Boao (Hainan) and Fuzhou. More pilot cities are being chosen.

## What "Class 3A" means

Every Chinese hospital can have two labels: a **level** and a **grade**.

**The level** shows the hospital's size and job. There are three levels: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3\. Class 3 is the highest level. Class 3 hospitals treat emergencies, very serious illness and difficult, complex cases. They also train doctors and support smaller hospitals.

**The grade** shows the result of the hospital's official review. A hospital gets Grade A or Grade B, or it fails. Grade A is the better result.

So **"Class 3A"** means the highest level and the best grade. In Chinese, "Class 3A" is 三级甲等. You say it sān jí jiǎ děng.

__Chinese hospitals by level, end of 2024 (National Health Commission bulletin)__
| Hospital level (end of 2024) | Number of hospitals |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Class 3                      | 4,111               |
| — of which Class 3A          | 1,876               |
| Class 2                      | 12,294              |
| Class 1                      | 13,287              |
| Not graded                   | 9,018               |
| **All hospitals**            | **38,710**          |

### How a hospital gets its grade

- Every hospital in China must take part in the review system.
- The health commission of each province leads the reviews and sends expert teams.
- The result is shown to the public for 7 to 15 days. This public notice is called a 公示 (gōng shì).
- A grade lasts four years. Then the hospital must be reviewed again.
- A hospital can lose its grade, for example after serious safety problems or cheating in the review.
- The newest national rulebook for Class 3 hospitals is the 2025 edition.

Private hospitals can join the same review and get the same grades. Officials must give a private hospital its review result within three months.

![A Chinese hospital's Class 3A plaque](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9e/1e/9e1e3d05-4a42-44df-b22e-e114bc829710/content/images/2026/10/A-Chinese-hospital-s-Class-3A-plaque.webp)

Figure 1: A Class 3A plaque at a Chinese hospital

## The yearly check of large public hospitals

Every year, the government also checks large public hospitals on four things:

- medical quality;
- how well the hospital works;
- long-term development;
- patient satisfaction.

Since 2025, this check is called "performance monitoring" (绩效监测). In the round for 2023, 2,168 large public hospitals took part, not counting TCM hospitals. This yearly check is separate from the hospital's grade.

## National titles

Some hospitals also hold national titles. These titles are given by the government, and each one means something different.

- **National Medical Centre** (国家医学中心): The National Health Commission chooses top hospitals to lead care in one medical field, such as children's health. The government tells these hospitals not to over-advertise the title.
- **National Regional Medical Centre** (国家区域医疗中心): Since 2019, this programme helps strong hospitals bring their care to regions with weaker services. The aim is that patients travel less for good care.
- **National Clinical Key Specialty** (国家临床重点专科): This title belongs to one department, not to the whole hospital. The province suggests the department, and the National Health Commission confirms it. From 2021 to 2025, the government funded 1,270 of these projects. If a hospital mentions this title, ask which department has it.
- **National Key Discipline** (国家重点学科): This is an old university title from the Ministry of Education. It stopped in 2014, so it is not a current hospital award.

![A National Clinical Key Specialty plaque at a hospital department](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9e/1e/9e1e3d05-4a42-44df-b22e-e114bc829710/content/images/2026/10/A-National-Clinical-Key-Specialty-plaque-at-a-hospital-department.webp)

Figure 2: A National Clinical Key Specialty plaque

## International accreditation

China also has a newer hospital standard called **CIHA** (China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards). A non-profit centre in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, runs it, and hospitals apply for it. In October 2026, its official list had 19 hospitals, mostly in south China and Hong Kong. So most top hospitals in China do not have it, and that is normal.

Some hospitals in China mention foreign accreditations. China grades its hospitals through its own national review system, and that is the system Alifa Health uses.

## How to check a hospital yourself

1. **Check that the hospital has a licence.** Use the National Health Commission's hospital search (zgcx.nhc.gov.cn). The site is in Chinese, so a translation app helps.
2. **Check the grade.** Look for the hospital in the latest review notice (公示) from the province's health commission. Our hospital tables use these notices.
3. **Check national titles.** Look for the government notice, not only the hospital's own advertising.
4. **Ask about the department.** A National Clinical Key Specialty belongs to one department, so ask which one.

To see which hospitals list services for patients from abroad, use [our table of international patient services at Chinese hospitals](https://www.alifahealth.com/international-patient-services-china/).

![The National Health Commission's hospital licence search page](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9e/1e/9e1e3d05-4a42-44df-b22e-e114bc829710/content/images/2026/10/The-National-Health-Commission-s-hospital-licence-search-page.webp)

Figure 3: The National Health Commission's hospital search (in Chinese)

## Chinese words you will see

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.

__Chinese words on hospital signs and notices__
| Chinese  | Say it                                 | Meaning                              |
| -------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| 公立医院     | gōng lì yī yuàn                        | public hospital                      |
| 民营医院     | mín yíng yī yuàn                       | private hospital                     |
| 三级甲等     | sān jí jiǎ děng                        | Class 3A (highest level, best grade) |
| 公示       | gōng shì                               | public notice of a review result     |
| 国家医学中心   | guó jiā yī xué zhōng xīn               | National Medical Centre              |
| 国家临床重点专科 | guó jiā lín chuáng zhòng diǎn zhuān kē | National Clinical Key Specialty      |

To learn how standard, special-needs and international services differ, read [our guide to service levels at Chinese public hospitals](https://www.alifahealth.com/chinese-hospital-service-levels/). For deposits, cards and receipts, see [our guide to paying at Chinese hospitals](https://www.alifahealth.com/paying-at-chinese-hospitals/). To learn why patients from abroad come to China for care, read [our guide to choosing China for medical care](https://www.alifahealth.com/why-choose-china/).

## Common questions

### What does "Class 3A" mean?

It means the hospital is at the highest level (Class 3) and got the best review grade (A). At the end of 2024, 1,876 hospitals in China had this grade.

### Can a private hospital have the same grade as a public hospital?

Yes. Private hospitals can join the same national review and get the same grades.

### How long does a hospital grade last?

A grade lasts four years. Then the hospital must be reviewed again, and it can lose its grade.

### Can foreign companies own hospitals in China?

Yes, in nine places, since 1 November 2024\. By August 2026, four of these hospitals were open.

### Does a National Clinical Key Specialty cover the whole hospital?

No. It belongs to one department. Ask the hospital which department has it.

### How can I check that a hospital has a licence?

Use the National Health Commission's hospital search at zgcx.nhc.gov.cn. The site is in Chinese, so a translation app helps.

Data verified 2026-10-26 · [How we verify](https://www.alifahealth.com/how-we-verify/)

This guide gives information only. It is not medical advice, and it does not recommend any hospital. It explains national rules and official lists; a hospital's grade and titles can change, so check the latest official notice.

Sources:

1. [2024年我国卫生健康事业发展统计公报,](https://www.nhc.gov.cn/guihuaxxs/c100133/202512/f1c3a3c617484a27a1a26a468afbaeee/files/2024%E5%B9%B4%E6%88%91%E5%9B%BD%E5%8D%AB%E7%94%9F%E5%81%A5%E5%BA%B7%E4%BA%8B%E4%B8%9A%E5%8F%91%E5%B1%95%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1%E5%85%AC%E6%8A%A5-20251201161542231.pdf) National Health Commission, 2025-12-01. Accessed 2026-10-26.
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6. [卫生部关于印发《医院评审暂行办法》的通知,](https://www.nhc.gov.cn/wjw/gfxwj/201109/55bd504b1905407ba1b6aefe772d14b4.shtml) Ministry of Health, 2011-09-21. Accessed 2026-10-26.
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19. [全国医疗机构查询,](https://zgcx.nhc.gov.cn/) National Health Commission. Accessed 2026-10-26.

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