Physicians per 1,000 people — all countries

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

Physicians per 1,000 people in lower-middle-income countries in 2019 — 0.83 per 1,000. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 353.9%.

2019 0.83 per 1,000 +8.34% vs 2018
World rank —
Period maximum 0.83 per 1,0002019
Period minimum 0.18 per 1,0001965

Trend over time

1960–2019 · per 1,000 people

Physicians per 1,000 people — Lower-middle-income countries, 1960–201900.250.50.751196019661972197819841990199620022008201420191960: 0.18 per 1,0001965: 0.18 per 1,0001970: 0.19 per 1,0001990: 0.75 per 1,0002004: 0.77 per 1,0002010: 0.76 per 1,0002016: 0.72 per 1,0002018: 0.76 per 1,0002019: 0.83 per 1,000
Change over the period: +0.65 (+353.93%) Average annual rate: 2.6 %
Physicians per 1,000 people — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year per 1,000 Change Change, %
2019 0.83 +0.06 +8.34%
2018 0.76 — —
2016 0.72 — —
2010 0.76 — —
2004 0.77 — —
1990 0.75 — —
1970 0.19 — —
1965 0.18 — —
1960 0.18 — —

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.