NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newsweek and Statista today unveiled the World’s Best Hospitals 2026 rankings, recognizing 2,530 leading hospitals across 32 countries while examining how global health systems leverage medical tourism to elevate standards of care.
The 2026 edition includes 420 hospitals in the United States and places particular emphasis on U.S. hospital performance, newly ranked institutions, and measurable quality indicators. Mayo Clinic (Rochester), Toronto General Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic were named the top three hospitals globally. Turkey was included in the ranking for the first time, reflecting its growing prominence as a destination for international patients seeking high-quality, cost-effective care.
Hospitals were evaluated according to four criteria: recommendations from medical experts, hospital quality metrics, existing patient experience data, and Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey. This year’s methodology also places increased emphasis on hospital quality metrics and results from the Statista Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey, reflecting the growing importance of objective performance data and value-based care.
“Patients and families deserve detailed, trustworthy information when they’re making some of the most important decisions of their lives,” said Alexis Kayser, Health Care Editor at Newsweek. “By combining hospital quality indicators, peer recommendations, patient experience data, and advanced measures of patient-reported outcomes, our 2026 rankings offer a comprehensive, independent view of the institutions leading the way in modern health care.”
The top 20 World's Best Hospitals:
- Mayo Clinic - Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Toronto General Hospital - University Health Network - Toronto, Canada
- Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset - Stockholm, Sweden
- Massachusetts General Hospital - Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital - Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Sheba Medical Center - Ramat Gan, Israel
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin - Berlin, Germany
- Universitätsspital Zürich - Zürich, Switzerland
- Singapore General Hospital (SGH) - Singapore
- AP-HP - Hôpital Universitaire Pitié Salpêtrière - Paris, France
- Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg - Heidelberg, Germany
- The University of Tokyo Hospital - Bunkyo, Japan
- Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center - Los Angeles, California, USA
- Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital - Copenhagen, Denmark
- Einstein Hospital Israelita - São Paulo, Brazil
- LMU Klinikum - Munich, Germany
- Brigham and Women's Hospital - Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Les Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG) - Geneva, Switzerland
- Universitätsklinikum AKH Wien / Medizinische Universität Wien - Vienna, Austria
U.S. Hospitals: New Entrants and Rising Performance
Several U.S. institutions join the national list for the first time in 2026, including NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and Avera St. Luke’s Hospital.
The 2026 methodology places increased emphasis on hospital quality metrics (40% of total score), reinforcing the growing role of outcomes-based evaluation in U.S. health care. Peer recommendations (35%), patient experience data (18.5%), and implementation of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (6.5%) round out the scoring model.
Newsweek’s U.S. editorial coverage will launch alongside the rankings with an in-depth overview of this year’s methodology, key updates to the scoring model, and an analysis of U.S. hospitals represented in the Global Top 250. Additional coverage will include a dedicated report on hospitals newly added to the U.S. national list and a breakout feature highlighting the top hospitals across Latin America.
Turkey’s Emergence as a Global Health Care Destination
For the first time, hospitals in Turkey are included in the World’s Best Hospitals ranking - a reflection of the country’s sustained investment in medical infrastructure and its growing role in global health care travel.
Turkey has seen a significant increase in international patients in recent years, with medical tourism contributing to advancements in surgical technology, facility modernization, and clinical specialization. The inclusion of Turkish hospitals in the 2026 rankings underscores how global patient demand can accelerate improvements in quality, operational standards, and patient-centered care.
“As health care becomes more global and more data-driven, transparency is no longer optional,” Kayser said. “Patients - whether they’re seeking care in their hometown or across the world - deserve information they can trust.”
Newsweek will spotlight hospitals newly named to the U.S. national list, featuring data from Statista and insights from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Avera St. Luke’s Hospital. Newsweek will also publish a mini profile on Cleveland Clinic – Weston, marking its return to the Global Top 250, following a live interview with its Chief Medical Officer, as well as a breakout story highlighting the top hospitals across Latin America. Complementing the rankings coverage, the March editorial will explore the link between patient nutrition and overall health outcomes, feature a profile of Toronto General Hospital, and include dedicated coverage on leading hospitals in Turkey.
The health care issue will be on newsstands on March 4th. To explore the full World’s Best Hospitals 2026 rankings, including the Global Top 250 and country-level lists, visit rankings.newsweek.com/worlds-best-hospitals-2026
About Newsweek:
Newsweek is the global digital news organization built around the iconic 94-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people monthly with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in 50 countries.
Contact:
Alyssa M. Tognetti
Broadsheet Communications for Newsweek
alyssa@broadsheetcomms.com
