Physicians per 1,000 people — all countries

Physicians per 1,000 people — Low-income countries

Physicians per 1,000 people in low-income countries in 2022 — 0.14 per 1,000. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 278.9%.

2022 0.14 per 1,000 −21.67% vs 2020
World rank —
Period maximum 0.43 per 1,0002008
Period minimum 0.04 per 1,0001960

Trend over time

1960–2022 · per 1,000 people

Physicians per 1,000 people — Low-income countries, 1960–202200.20.40.619601967197419811988199520022009201620221960: 0.04 per 1,0001965: 0.04 per 1,0001970: 0.05 per 1,0001981: 0.08 per 1,0002004: 0.16 per 1,0002008: 0.43 per 1,0002018: 0.19 per 1,0002020: 0.18 per 1,0002022: 0.14 per 1,000
Change over the period: +0.11 (+278.93%) Average annual rate: 2.17 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Low-income countries

Low-income countries 0.14 per 1,000
World 1.86 per 1,000
Physicians per 1,000 people — Low-income countries, by year Low-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year per 1,000 Change Change, %
2022 0.14 — —
2020 0.18 — —
2018 0.19 — —
2008 0.43 — —
2004 0.16 — —
1981 0.08 — —
1970 0.05 — —
1965 0.04 — —
1960 0.04 — —

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.