In Mexico, the number of practicing doctors amounted to around 2.51 professionals per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021, an increase compared to the figures reported a year earlier when there were around 2.41 practicing physicians per every thousand people. During the last year depicted, the number of physicians in Mexico totaled approximately 324,000 professionals.

Density of doctors worldwide

In a global comparison, Mexico ranks in an middle category for density of medical doctors per 1,000 population, similar to Japan and Qatar. Among the countries in the upper bracket for highest density of doctors are Cuba, Georgia, Lithuania, and Greece. Along with Mexico’s moderate density of doctors, over 39 percent of the population was considered vulnerable due to lack of access to health services in Mexico as of 2022, up from around 21.5 percent a decade earlier.

Health care in Mexico

Nearly 33 million people in Mexico held public health insurance through Seguro Popular in 2020, which was replaced by a new institution at the beginning of that year, called INSABI (Instituto Nacional de Salud para el Bienestar). However, the IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) led by a large margin as the largest provider of health insurance in the North American country.

Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.254 Ratio in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.212 Ratio for 2019. Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.186 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.298 Ratio in 2014 and a record low of 0.035 Ratio in 1960. Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Afghanistan – Table AF.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.;World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.c.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

In 2021, there were approximately 2.56 doctors for every 1,000 inhabitants in South Korea. This was a slight increase compared to the preceding year. This ratio has increased steadily since 2000, with the exception of a slight drop in 2004. However, South Korea still has few doctors relative to its population. The OECD average was 3.3 doctors per 1,000 people, and among the full OECD member countries, only Mexico and Turkey had lower ratios. According to OECD data, key partners China, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Indonesia have ratios lower than Korea. At the other end of the spectrum is Austria with 5.48 doctors per 1,000 people, followed by Norway with 5.16 and Germany with 4.53. Shortage of medical staffs The Korean government officially declared a shortage of several thousand doctors across the nation and recommended the training of an additional 150 doctors every year to make up the shortfall. Furthermore, doctors of traditional Korean medicine are counted among the number of doctors, meaning there are even fewer doctors of modern medical sciences than official figures suggest. Yet there are several factors, such as resistance from doctors, preventing the government from simply increasing the number of medical graduates. Regional imbalances in the medical environmentSome experts refute the government’s claims that Korea faces a doctor shortage and point towards other factors. For example, Korea has a higher population density than other countries, meaning that the average Korean doctor meets with more patients than an Austrian or Norwegian one would. Indeed, half the population is concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area. Additionally, Koreans see doctors around 19 times a year on average, which is far more frequently than any other OECD nationals. Despite this, Korea spends a lower share of its GDP on medical expenditures than other OECD countries, implying that medical personnel do more work for less financial compensation. Regional disparities where doctors are concentrated in Seoul and other major cities is also an issue. The doctor-to-people ratio in Seoul is higher than the national ratio, and the same as the OECD average. Many argue that a shortage of nurses is a greater concern than an alleged shortage of doctors. While the number of trained nurses is adequate, many leave because of harsh working conditions.

Syria SY: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 1.546 Ratio in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.505 Ratio for 2010. Syria SY: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 1.339 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.558 Ratio in 2005 and a record low of 0.185 Ratio in 1965. Syria SY: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

In 2021, Austria was the country with the highest practicing physician density at 5.4 practicing physicians per thousand population. On the other hand, countries like India, South Africa, and Indonesia had less than one physician per 1,000 population, the lowest physician density among the selected countries.

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Haiti was reported at 0.237 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Haiti - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Somalia SO: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.029 Ratio in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.035 Ratio for 2010. Somalia SO: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.037 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.071 Ratio in 1984 and a record low of 0.024 Ratio in 1960. Somalia SO: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Somalia – Table SO.World Bank: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Switzerland was reported at 4.443 in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Switzerland - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The number of licensed physicians per 1,000 people in Chile increased by 0.2 physicians (+6.8 percent) since the previous year. With 3.13 physicians, the number of licensed physicians thereby reached its highest value in the observed period. Notably, the number of licensed physicians continuously increased over the last years.Find more statistics on other topics about Chile with key insights such as ratio of computed tomography (CT) scanners to inhabitants and number of hospitals.

Bangladesh BD: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.670 Ratio in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.656 Ratio for 2020. Bangladesh BD: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.326 Ratio from Dec 1965 (Median) to 2021, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.670 Ratio in 2021 and a record low of 0.119 Ratio in 1970. Bangladesh BD: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bangladesh – Table BD.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.;World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.c.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Finland was reported at 4.381 in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Finland - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Vanuatu VU: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.186 Ratio in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.116 Ratio for 2010. Vanuatu VU: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.147 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2012, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.301 Ratio in 1970 and a record low of 0.099 Ratio in 1991. Vanuatu VU: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Vanuatu – Table VU.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Guatemala was reported at 1.28 in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Guatemala - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2022, there were approximately 2.41 medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil, a decrease compared to the highest physician density of about 2.49 doctors per thousand inhabitants reported two years earlier. That same year, the number of doctors registered in the South American country totaled about 584 thousand professionals, most of them based in São Paulo.

The physicians density in China has been increasing gradually in the past decade. In 2023, China's physicians density had amounted to 3.4 physicians per thousand inhabitants, while the hospital bed density was more than seven beds per thousand population.

Ukraine UA: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 3.000 Ratio in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.506 Ratio for 2013. Ukraine UA: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 3.686 Ratio from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2014, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.407 Ratio in 1995 and a record low of 2.951 Ratio in 2003. Ukraine UA: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ukraine – Table UA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

Ireland: Doctors per 1,000 people: The latest value from 2021 is 4.05 doctors per 1,000 people, an increase from 3.46 doctors per 1,000 people in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 3.93 doctors per 1,000 people, based on data from 12 countries. Historically, the average for Ireland from 2011 to 2021 is 3.16 doctors per 1,000 people. The minimum value, 2.67 doctors per 1,000 people, was reached in 2011 while the maximum of 4.05 doctors per 1,000 people was recorded in 2021.

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Nicaragua was reported at 0.664 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nicaragua - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2022, there were 4.55 practicing doctors per 1,000 population in Germany. The number of practicing doctors in Germany has steadily increased throughout the provided time period.   Frequency of visiting physicians in Germany In 2018, almost 40 percent of Germans stated they visited a physician at least three times or more in a year, with a total of 81 percent consulting a physician at least once a year. As of 2018, 40 percent of individuals in Germany who were living with a long-standing limiting health condition or illness. This was higher than the share of those in other similar sized Western European countries such as Great Britain, Spain and France. Other healthcare positions also increasing  Across the same time period, the number of physicians in Germany has increased by almost 30 percent resulting in approximately 371.5 thousand employed physicians in 2021. Additionally, the number of practicing nurses in Germany has also increased by around 30 percent between 2000 and 2018, to approximately one million nurses in 2021. 

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Ghana was reported at 0.141 in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ghana - Physicians - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.