Gemelli in Rome, Niguarda and Humanitas in Milan: Italy's three top hospitals in the world rankings

Rome's Gemelli is back in first place, followed by Niguarda and Milan's Humanitas. But in all, 13 tricolour flags are flying in the ranking of the top 25o hospitals in the 'World's Best Hospitals 2026' list published by Newsweek, now in its eighth edition and produced in collaboration with the research company Statista. More than 2,500 hospitals were evaluated this year, with special recognition awarded to the 250 best institutions worldwide. At the top are mainly American facilities, with the sole exception of Karolinska in Stockholm.

The top five awardees are the Mayo Clinic-Rochester (Rochester, Minnesota), the Toronto General-University Health Network (Toronto), the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland), the Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset (Stockholm) and the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). The 13 Italian hospitals in the 'best in the world' rankings are the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome (at position 33), Grande Ospedale Metropolitanodal Niguarda in Milan (43) the Humanitas Clinical Institute (51), the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan (57), the Policlinico S. Orsola of Bologna (76), the Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII of Bergamo (104), the Azienda ospedaliera of Padua (127), the Hospital San Matteo of Pavia (134), the Azienda ospedaliera di Verona-Ospedale Borgo Trento (142), the Azienda ospedaliera Careggi in Florence (192), the Policlinico di Modena (198), the Azienda ospedaliera S. Andrea hospital in Rome (203), the Le Molinette hospital in Torno (221). The ranking, explains Newsweek, "highlights the best hospitals around the world and provides country-specific rankings so readers can find information tailored to their needs and geographical location. This year's rating includes hospitals from 32 countries'.

"This year, the number of hospitals worldwide is expected to reach 216,000. With so many options to consider, it can be difficult for patients and families to get a full picture of their options'. This is the thinking behind the ranking published by Newsweek magazine, in collaboration with the global data platform Statista. This year's assessment includes hospitals from 32 countries selected using multiple criteria for comparability, including population size, life expectancy, standard of living, hospital density and availability of reliable data. Each hospital was reviewed and scored based on four data sources: recommendations from medical experts; hospital quality metrics; existing patient experience data; and Statista's Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey. The 2026 methodology has expanded previous editions to include the Philippines and Turkey for the first time. In addition, the presentation explains, more emphasis is placed on hospital quality metrics this year, incorporating new data on accreditation, quality, safety and patient experience in several countries. In all, more than 2,500 hospitals were evaluated, with special recognition awarded to the 250 best institutions worldwide.

Lombardy in particular confirms its presence at the top of international healthcare. In the World's Best Hospitals 2026 ranking, five Lombardy hospitals are among the top eight in Italia. These are Niguarda in Milan, Istituto Clinico Humanitas (Rozzano), San Raffaele Hospital - San Donato Group (Milan), the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo and the Policlinico San Matteo Hospital in Pavia. Having "five Lombardy hospitals among the top eight in Italia and three among the top one hundred in the world is a result that confirms the solidity of our health system," Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region, commented in a note. "It is a recognition of the daily work of doctors, nurses, researchers, and all the health personnel who work with professionalism and dedication. We will continue to invest in facilities, technologies and innovation to guarantee citizens increasingly effective and modern care'. The result, reads the note, consolidates Lombardy's role as a national and international reference point for quality of care, technological innovation and integration between assistance and research, the Region lists. "We consider even more significant than the positioning in the international rankings the judgement expressed daily by the citizens who rely on our facilities," added the regional councillor for Welfare, Guido Bertolaso. "It is to them that we owe concrete answers, quality of care and continuity of treatment. This is why we will never tire of strengthening the collaboration between all the components of the Lombardy health system and promoting full integration with the territory, which is the real strategic objective towards which we are oriented. We welcome these results with satisfaction, but without any triumphalism: the priority remains to improve the services offered to citizens every day'.