According to a survey of practicing physicians in various countries worldwide, physicians in the United States have the ******* overall income with approximately ******* U.S. dollars. Second highest on the list, surveyed ******** physicians were paid on average ******* U.S. dollars. In all surveyed countries, female physicians earned consistently less than their male counterparts.

According to a survey of practicing physicians in various countries, female physicians generally had lower salaries than their male counterparts. The average male physician in the United States earned 386,000 U.S. dollars while female doctors were paid just 300,000 U.S. dollars. In terms of percentage, the pay gap was widest in Portugal, where male doctors earned over 60 percent more than female doctors.

On average, doctors in Russia earned approximately ******* Russian rubles per month in 2023. In Moscow, the figure was significantly higher, measuring at roughly ******* Russian rubles. The mid-level medical staff across the country received around ****** Russian rubles per month, which was below the average salary in Russia.

The lack of medical services in West Africa represents a serious issue in sanitary emergency. As of **********, different West African countries counted less than a doctor every 10,000 inhabitants. Especially, Sierra Leone had ***** physicians per 100,000 individuals, the lowest density of medical doctors in West Africa. Moreover, Burkina Faso was estimated to have only ** ventilators in the whole country for a population of almost ********** people.

The average number of doctors across the OECD countries in 2019 equaled to ** per 10,000 inhabitants. The member countries of OECD are mostly high-income countries, whereas Nigeria is an emerging economy and it belongs to countries with lower middle-incomes.

Beurteilung des Gesundheitssystems im Land. Persönliche Gesundheit. Gesundheitsversicherung. Themen: Lebenszufriedenheit (Glücklichsein); Vertrauen in das Bildungssystem und das Gesundheitssystem des Landes; Forderung nach einer Änderung des Gesundheitssystems; Rechtfertigung besserer medizinischer Versorgung und Bildung für Personen mit höherem Einkommen; Beurteilung des Gesundheitssystems des Landes (Skala: Einschätzung der Verbesserung des Gesundheitssystems, Beanspruchung von Gesundheitsleistungen über den notwendigen Bedarf hinweg, Bereitstellung von Basisgesundheitsleistungen durch den Staat, ineffizientes Gesundheitssystem); Bereitschaft zur Zahlung höherer Steuern zur Erhöhung der Gesundheitsversorgung für alle im Land; Einstellung zur öffentlichen Finanzierung von vorbeugenden medizinischen Checks, Behandlung von HIV/AIDS, Programmen zur Verhinderung von Fettleibigkeit sowie Organtransplantationen; Einstellung zum Zugang zu staatlich geförderter Gesundheitsversorgung für Menschen mit fremder Staatsbürgerschaft bzw. selbstschädigendem Gesundheitsverhalten; geschätzter Anteil von Menschen ohne Zugang zum Gesundheitssystem; Ursachen schwerwiegender Gesundheitsprobleme (gesundheitsschädliches Verhalten, Umwelt, Gene, Armut); Einstellung zur Bereitstellung einer Herzoperation für Patienten, die rauchen, die schon alt sind sowie bei solchen mit jungen Kindern; Einstellung zu alternativer Medizin (bessere Lösungen für Gesundheitsprobleme als konventionelle Medizin, verspricht mehr als sie halten kann); allgemeine Beurteilung von Ärzten im Land (Skala: vertrauenswürdig, diskutieren sämtliche Behandlungsoptionen mit ihren Patienten, geringe medizinische Fähigkeiten, kümmern sich mehr um ihr Einkommen als um ihre Patienten, Offenheit im Umgang mit Behandlungsfehlern); Häufigkeit von Problemen in den letzten vier Wochen: in Bezug auf Arbeit oder Haushaltsaktivitäten aufgrund gesundheitlicher Probleme, körperlich starke Schmerzen, Unglücklichsein und Depressionen, Verlust des Selbstvertrauens und unüberwindliche Probleme; Häufigkeit von Arztbesuchen und von Besuchen bei alternativen Heilpraktikern im letzten Jahr; Krankenhausaufenthalt im letzten Jahr; Gründe für nicht erhaltene notwendige medizinische Behandlung (Zahlungsschwierigkeiten, zeitliche Schwierigkeiten oder andere Verpflichtungen, erforderliche Behandlung ist am Wohnort nicht verfügbar, zu lange Wartelisten); Wahrscheinlichkeit des Zugangs zur bestmöglichen Behandlung im Land bei einer schweren Krankheit und zu freier Arztwahl; Zufriedenheit mit dem Gesundheitssystem im Land; Zufriedenheit mit dem letzten Arztbesuch, bei alternativen Heilpraktikern und mit dem letzten Krankenhausaufenthalt; Anzahl täglich gerauchter Zigaretten; Häufigkeit des Konsums von vier oder mehr alkoholischen Getränken pro Tag; Häufigkeit anstrengender körperlicher Aktivitäten und des Konsums von Obst und Gemüse; Selbsteinschätzung der Gesundheit; chronische Krankheit oder Behinderung; Größe und Gewicht; Art der persönlichen Gesundheitsversicherung; Beurteilung des Schutzes der persönlichen Gesundheitsversicherung. Optionale Fragen: Gesundheitsversicherung deckt ab: verordnete Medikamente, zahnmedizinische Versorgung und Krankenhausaufenthalte; Notwendigkeit einer Überweisung des Hausarztes vor dem Besuch eines Facharztes; Einschränkung sozialer Aktivitäten wegen gesundheitlicher Probleme. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Geburtsjahr; Jahre der Schulbildung; Schulbildung (länderspezifisch); höchster Bildungsgrad; Erwerbstätigkeit; Wochenarbeitszeit; Beschäftigungsverhältnis; Beschäftigtenzahl; Vorgesetztenfunktion; Anzahl der beaufsichtigten Beschäftigten; Art der Organisation; Beruf (ISCO-88); Haupterwerbsstatus; Zusammenleben mit einem Partner; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft; Konfession (länderspezifisch); Konfessionsgruppen; Kirchgangshäufigkeit; Selbsteinschätzung auf einer Oben-unten-Skala; Wahlbeteiligung bei der letzten Wahl und gewählte Partei (länderspezifisch); Einschätzung der gewählten Partei links-rechts; Ethnizität (länderspezifisch); Kinderzahl; Haushaltsgröße; Einkommen des Befragten (länderspezifisch); Haushaltseinkommen (länderspezifisch); Familienstand; Urbanisierungsgrad; Region (länderspezifisch). Für den Ehepartner bzw. Partner wurde erfragt: Erwerbstätigkeit; Wochenarbeitszeit; Beschäftigungsverhältnis; Vorgesetztenfunktion; Beruf (ISCO-88); Haupterwerbsstatus. Zusätzlich verkodet wurde: Interviewdatum; Case substitution flag; Erhebungsmethode; Gewichtungsfaktor. Evaluation of health care system in the country. Personal health. Health insurance. Themes: satisfaction with life (happiness); confidence in the educational system and the health system of the country; changes of health care system is needed; justification of better medical supply and better education for people with higher incomes; assessment of the health care system of the country (scale: estimation of improvement of the health care system, usage of health care services more than necessary, government should provide only basic health care services, inefficient health care system); willingness to pay higher taxes to improve the level of health care for all people in the country; attitude towards public funding of: preventive medical checkups, treatment of HIV/AIDS, programs to prevent obesity and conduct organ transplants; attitude towards the access to publicly funded health care for people without citizenship of the country and even if they behave in ways that damage their health; estimated part of people without access to the health care system; causes of severe health problems (behavior that damages health, environment, genes, poverty); evaluation of patients for smoking habits, age and the presence of young children for a needed heart operation; attitude towards alternative (traditional or folk) medicine (provides better solutions for health problems than conventional medicine, promises more than it is able to deliver); assessment of doctors in general in the country (scale: doctors can be trusted, discuss all treatment options with their patients, poor medical skills, more care about their earnings than about their patients, openness in dealing with mistakes during treatment); frequency of difficulties with work or household activities because of health problems, bodily aches or pains, unhappiness and depression, loss of self-confidence and insuperable problems in the past four weeks; frequency of doctor visits and of visiting an alternative (traditional/folk) health care practitioner during the past twelve months; stay in hospital or a clinic as an in-patient overnight during the last year; reasons why the respondent did not receive needed medical treatment (could not pay for it, could not take the time off work or because of other commitments, needed treatment was not available at the place of residence, too long waiting list); likelihood of getting the best treatment available in the country in the case of seriously illness and of treatment from the doctor of own choice; satisfaction with the health care system in the country; satisfaction with treatment at the last visit to a doctor, when attending alternative health care practitioner and with the last hospital stay; number of smoked cigarettes per day; frequency of drinking four or more alcoholic drinks on the same day, strenuous physical activity and of eating fresh fruit or vegetables; assessment of personal health; respondent has a long-standing illness, a chronic condition or a disability; height and weight of respondent; kind of personal health insurance; only respondents with health insurance: assessment of personal health insurance coverage. Optional items: personal health insurance covers the prescribed drugs, dental health care and in-patient health care in hospital; need of a referral from the family doctor before visiting a medical specialist; limitation of social activities with family or friends because of health problems. Demography: Sex; age; year of birth; years in school; education (country specific); highest completed degree; work status; hours worked weekly; employment relationship; number of employees; supervision of employees; number of supervised employees; type of organization: for-profit vs. non profit and public vs. private; occupation (ISCO-88); main employment status; living in steady partnership; union membership; religious affiliation or denomination (country specific); groups of religious denominations; attendance of religious services; top-bottom self-placement; vote in last general election; country specific party voted in last general election; party voted (left-right); ethnicity (country specific); number of children; number of toddlers; size of household; earnings of respondent (country specific); family income (country specific); marital status; place of living: urban – rural; region (country specific). Information about spouse and about partner on: work status; hours worked weekly; employment relationship: supervises other employees, occupation (ISCO-88); main employment status. Additionally encoded: date of interview; case substitution flag; mode of data collection; weight.

As of April 2025, there were a total of 570,655 specialty physicians active in the United States. Of these, most were specialized in emergency medicine. Physician compensation Significant pay variations exist across specialties and regions, with orthopedic doctors and surgeons command the highest average annual salaries at 564,000 U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the Midwest region offers the highest average physician compensation at 385,000 U.S. dollars annually. Interestingly, doctors in Northern parts of the United States tend to earn less than their counterparts in other regions. Burnout among physicians Despite high salaries, U.S. physicians face high workload and stress in the workplace. Nearly half of surveyed doctors reported feeling burnout, with higher burnout rates among female doctors, younger physicians, and those in primary care compared to their counterparts. More effort to combat burnout is needed in the healthcare system. Increasing compensation was cited by physicians as the top measure to alleviate burnout, followed by adding support staff and offering more flexible schedules.

Among OECD member countries, the United States had the ******* percentage of gross domestic product spent on health care as of 2024. The U.S. spent nearly **** percent of its GDP on health care services. Germany, Austria, and Germany followed the U.S. with distinctly smaller percentages. The United States had both significantly higher private and public spending on health compared with other developed countries. Why compare OECD countries? OECD stands for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is an economic organization consisting of 38 members, mostly high-income countries and committed to democratic principles and market economy. This makes OECD statistics more comparable than statistics of developed and undeveloped countries. Health economics is an important matter for the OECD, even more since increasing health costs and an aging population have become an issue for many developed countries. Health costs in the U.S. A higher GDP share spent on health care does not automatically lead to a better functioning health system. In the case of the U.S., high spending is mainly because of higher costs and prices, not due to higher utilization. For example, physicians’ salaries are much higher in the U.S. than in other comparable countries. A doctor in the U.S. earns more than ***** as much as the average physician in Germany. Pharmaceutical spending per capita is also distinctly higher in the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. also spends more on health administrative costs compared to other wealthy countries.

In 2023, U.S. national health expenditure as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP) reached 17.6 percent, this was an increase on the previous year. The United States has the highest health spending based on GDP share among developed countries. Both public and private health spending in the U.S. is much higher than other developed countries. Why the U.S. pays so much moreWhile private health spending in Canada stays at around three percent and in Germany under two percent of the gross domestic product, it is nearly nine percent in the United States. Another reason for high costs can be found in physicians’ salaries, which are much higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries. A general practitioner in the U.S. earns nearly twice as much as the average physician in other high-income countries. Additionally, medicine spending per capita is also significantly higher in the United States. Finally, inflated health care administration costs are another of the predominant factors which make health care spending in the U.S. out of proportion. It is important to state that Americans do not pay more because they have a higher health care utilization, but mainly because of higher prices. Expected developmentsBy 2031, it is expected that health care spending in the U.S. will reach nearly one fifth of the nation’s gross domestic product. Or in dollar-terms, health care expenditures will accumulate to about seven trillion U.S. dollars in total.

In 2023, the value of direct premiums earned by the medical professional liability insurance market in the United States was highest in the state of New York. At that time, direct premiums earned in New York amounted to over *** billion U.S. dollars. This was followed by the state of California, wherein direct premiums earned amounted to a value of approximately *** million U.S. dollars. In Washington, the federal capital of the United States, medical liability insurance direct premiums earned were valued at just over *** million U.S. dollars.