Physicians per 1,000 people — all countries

Physicians per 1,000 people — Western Africa

Physicians per 1,000 people in Western Africa in 2022 — 0.27 per 1,000. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 1,020.2%.

2022 0.27 per 1,000 −7.34% vs 2021
World rank
Period maximum 0.29 per 1,0002021
Period minimum 0.02 per 1,0001960

Trend over time

1960–2022 · per 1,000 people

Physicians per 1,000 people — Western Africa, 1960–202200.10.20.319601967197419811988199520022009201620221960: 0.02 per 1,0001965: 0.04 per 1,0001970: 0.05 per 1,0002004: 0.08 per 1,0002008: 0.22 per 1,0002015: 0.1 per 1,0002016: 0.28 per 1,0002018: 0.27 per 1,0002019: 0.24 per 1,0002020: 0.12 per 1,0002021: 0.29 per 1,0002022: 0.27 per 1,000
Change over the period: +0.25 (+1,020.19%) Average annual rate: 3.97 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Africa

Western Africa 0.27 per 1,000
World 1.86 per 1,000
Physicians per 1,000 people — Western Africa, by year Western Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year per 1,000 Change Change, %
2022 0.27 −0.02 −7.34%
2021 0.29 +0.17 +149.74%
2020 0.12 −0.13 −52.2%
2019 0.24 −0.02 −8.46%
2018 0.27
2016 0.28 +0.18 +188.2%
2015 0.1
2008 0.22
2004 0.08
1970 0.05
1965 0.04
1960 0.02

About the indicator

The number of practicing physicians (general practitioners and specialists alike) per 1,000 people. WHO treats a level below 2.3 health workers per 1,000 people as the critical threshold of health workforce provision — below it, basic coverage of health services cannot be secured.

Important: The data are not collected every year; countries differ in whether they count only practicing physicians or all licensed ones.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.