Physicians per 1,000 people — all countries

Physicians per 1,000 people — Upper-middle-income countries

Physicians per 1,000 people in upper-middle-income countries in 2020 — 2.17 per 1,000. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 556%.

2020 2.17 per 1,000 +6.14% vs 2019
World rank
Period maximum 2.17 per 1,0002020
Period minimum 0.33 per 1,0001960

Trend over time

1960–2020 · per 1,000 people

Physicians per 1,000 people — Upper-middle-income countries, 1960–20200123196019661972197819841990199620022008201420201960: 0.33 per 1,0001970: 0.73 per 1,0001990: 1.08 per 1,0001993: 1 per 1,0001995: 1.26 per 1,0002004: 1.33 per 1,0002009: 1.35 per 1,0002010: 1.38 per 1,0002012: 1.57 per 1,0002016: 1.95 per 1,0002017: 1.89 per 1,0002018: 1.92 per 1,0002019: 2.04 per 1,0002020: 2.17 per 1,000
Change over the period: +1.84 (+556%) Average annual rate: 3.18 %
Physicians per 1,000 people — Upper-middle-income countries, by year Upper-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year per 1,000 Change Change, %
2020 2.17 +0.13 +6.14%
2019 2.04 +0.12 +6.34%
2018 1.92 +0.03 +1.67%
2017 1.89 −0.06 −3.07%
2016 1.95
2012 1.57
2010 1.38 +0.03 +2.15%
2009 1.35
2004 1.33
1995 1.26
1993 1
1990 1.08
1970 0.73
1960 0.33

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.