Physicians per 1,000 people — all countries

Physicians per 1,000 people — Sub-Saharan Africa

Physicians per 1,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 — 0.25 per 1,000. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 560.9%.

2022 0.25 per 1,000 +10.28% vs 2018
World rank —
Period maximum 0.25 per 1,0002022
Period minimum 0.04 per 1,0001960

Trend over time

1960–2022 · per 1,000 people

Physicians per 1,000 people — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–202200.10.20.319601967197419811988199520022009201620221960: 0.04 per 1,0001965: 0.08 per 1,0001970: 0.05 per 1,0001990: 0.15 per 1,0002000: 0.13 per 1,0002004: 0.15 per 1,0002010: 0.18 per 1,0002018: 0.23 per 1,0002022: 0.25 per 1,000
Change over the period: +0.21 (+560.91%) Average annual rate: 3.09 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 0.25 per 1,000
World 1.86 per 1,000
Physicians per 1,000 people — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year per 1,000 Change Change, %
2022 0.25 — —
2018 0.23 — —
2010 0.18 — —
2004 0.15 — —
2000 0.13 — —
1990 0.15 — —
1970 0.05 — —
1965 0.08 — —
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.