Purpose The aim of this study was to gain insight into the epidemiology of burn patients admitted to a hospital without a burn center or referred to a burn center. Methods This retrospective, nationwide, cohort study included patients with burns or inhalation trauma, admitted between 2014 and 2018, from a national trauma registry. The primary outcome measure was admission to a hospital with or without a burn center. Secondary outcome measures were patient and injury characteristics, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and length of stay, and hospital length of stay (HLOS). Results Of the 5524 included patients, 2787 (50.4%) were treated at a non-burn center, 1745 (31.6%) were subsequently transferred to a burn center, and 992 (18.0%) were primarily presented and treated at a burn center. The annual number of patients decreased from 1199 to 1055 (− 12.4%). At all admission locations, a clear incidence peak was observed in children ≤ 4 years and in patients of ≥ 80 years. The number of ICU admissions for the entire population increased from 201 to 233 (33.0%). The mean HLOS for the entire population was 8 (SD 14) days per patient. This number remained stable over the years in all groups. Conclusion Half of all burn patients were admitted in a non-burn center and the other half in a burn center. The number and incidence rate of patients admitted with burns or inhalation trauma decreased over time. An increased incidence rate was found in children and elderly. The number of patients admitted to the ICU increased, whereas mean hospital length of stay remained stable.