Occupancy levels across private care homes in the United Kingdom have returned to, and in some cases exceeded, the pre-pandemic long-term average, reaching 88 percent, according to Knight Frank’s 2024 Healthcare Trading Performance Report.
The figure represents a 2 percent increase on 2023 and is the highest average occupancy rate since 2019, as structural trends continue to fuel requirements. Occupancy levels fell almost 10 percent in 2020 to 79 percent, with the sector now having witnessed a full recovery and steady annualized increases in line with growing demand from an aging population across all regions.
The global property consultancy surveyed 80 percent of the United Kingdom’s corporate care market, which comprises more than 100,000 care beds across 781 towns and cities. Higher occupancy levels have seen average weekly care homes fees grow 11 percent year-on-year to £1,182 per week ($1,508 per week). As a result, earnings before interest, taxes, d