The Vatican's Bambino Gesù Hospital is considered the leading paediatric hospital in Europe and the 6th best in the world, according to the U.S. magazine Newsweek's 2026 World's Best Hospitals ranking.

The ranking, created in collaboration with the data-gathering company Statista, highlights leading hospitals worldwide across 12 medical fields, including paediatrics, according to Vatican News.

The 2026 edition evaluated 2,500 hospitals in 32 countries.

"This recognition stems from the daily teamwork of the entire hospital community: doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, technical and administrative staff, researchers, volunteers, and religious personnel who, together, take care of children and their families," said Tiziano Onesti, president of the Bambino Gesù Hospital, in a press release.

"It is the quiet dedication of these women and men—in the wards, laboratories, offices, reception, and support services—that makes highly specialized care possible, combined with attention to the human and relational aspects of treatment," he noted.

The hospital's press release highlights that Bambino Gesù is the only paediatric hospital operating within the Italian healthcare system to be included among the world's top 30.

It also explains that this recognition shows the hospital's growth over the years, as it has obtained important international certifications, such as the JCI accreditation as an Academic Medical Center for training and clinical and scientific research.

Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation is a globally recognised standard that certifies healthcare organisations for high-quality patient care and safety.

Bambino Gesù noted that it is today the leading paediatric center in Europe in terms of the number of affiliations with European reference networks for rare diseases (affiliated with 20 out of 24 networks).

It records almost 3 million outpatient services, 100,000 emergency department visits, and over 33,000 surgical procedures each year.

Specialized hospitals are seeing explosive growth as patients search for physicians that provide advanced, targeted care. Whether you are fighting a rare illness or seeking precision surgery for a complex injury, these facilities are a popular choice for patients in need of specific expertise.

Newsweek reports that the global speciality hospital market was worth around $74.87 billion in 2023, with the umber expected to grow to around $176.53 billion by 2032.

https://rankings.newsweek.com/worlds-best-specialized-hospitals-2026/pediatrics

All of these options give patients more choice about where to seek customized care.

"That is why Newsweek and Statista are proud to present World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2026, highlighting the leading hospitals worldwide in 12 medical fields.2

Included in this ranking are the top 300 hospitals for cardiology and oncology; the top 250 for pediatrics; the top 150 for cardiac surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology and orthopedics; and the top 125 for neurosurgery and urology.

The ranking for neurology and obstetrics & gynaecology were both increased by 25 hospitals this year, up to 150 and 125, respectively.

The ranking is built on a worldwide online survey conducted from May to July 2025 using recommendations from medical professionals.

It also used accreditation data and certifications, and Statista's PROMs Implementation Survey. Hospitals that have expertise in multiple fields received separate recommendations for each speciality.