List of countries and dependencies by number of physicians

Last updated April 28, 2024

A physician, medical practitioner, medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments.

List

Country or dependency	2000–2009^[1]		2007–2013 ^[2]	Latest available data (2020–2023)^[3]
Country or dependency	Size	Physicians per ^{10,000 people}	Physicians per ^{10,000 people}	Physicians per ^{10,000 people}
Australia	19612	10	32.7	41.02
Austria	31175	38	48.3	54.6
Azerbaijan	32388	38	34.0
Albania	3626	11	11.5	18.83
Algeria	40857	12	12.1	17.2
Angola	1165	1	1.7
Andorra	249	37	40.0
Argentina	122623	32	38.6	38.95
Armenia	11090	37	27.0
Afghanistan	5970	2	2.7	2.54
Bahamas	997	28.2	28.2
Bangladesh	42881	3	3.6	6.7
Bahrain	2227	30	9.2
Belarus	46965	49	39.3
Belize	251	11	8.3
Belgium	44124	42	29.9	62.57
Benin	542	1	0.6
Bulgaria	27911	37	38.7
Bolivia	10329	12	4.7
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5540	14	19.3
Botswana	715	4	4
Brazil	320013	17	18.9	21.6
Brunei	400	11	14.4	19.13
Burkina Faso	921	1	0.5
Burundi	200	0.5	8.55	0.65
Bhutan	52	0.5	2.6	5.6
North Macedonia	5187	25	26.2
Vanuatu	30	1	1.2
Hungary	27957	28	30.8	32.91
Venezuela	48000	19	19	16.64
Vietnam	44960	6	11.9
Gabon	395	3	3	5.94
Guyana	366	5	2.1	14.05
Gambia	62	0.5	1.1	0.77
Ghana	2587	1	1	1.64
Guatemala	13367	9.3	9.3	12.8
Guinea	940	1	1
Guinea-Bissau	78	0.5	0.7	2.2
Germany	288182	35	38.9	42.5
Honduras	3676	6	6	4.89
Greece	59599	54	54	63.06
Georgia	19951	45	42.7	71.2
Denmark	17226	32	34.9
Democratic Republic of the Congo	5827	1	1
Djibouti	140	2	2
Dominican Republic	15670	19	14.9
Egypt	179900	24	28.3	4.5
Zambia	649	1	1.7	2.97
Zimbabwe	2086	2	0.8	1.89
Israel	25314	36	33.4	36.54
India	643520	6	7	8.6
Indonesia	204000			4.3
Jordan	15279	26	25.6
Iraq	15994	5	6.1	7.1
Iran	61870	9	9	15.8
Ireland	13141	31	26.7	40.62
Iceland	1120	38	34.8
Spain	163800	38	49.5	45.77
Italy	215000	37	37.6	41.62
Yemen	6739	3	2
Cape Verde	310	6	3.1
Kazakhstan	57387	39	36.2	40.28
Cambodia	2047	2	1.7
Cameroon	3124	2	0.8	1.24
Canada	62307	19	20.7	26.1
Qatar	2313	28	77.4	24.9
Kenya	4506	1	2	2.26
Cyprus	1950	23	23.3	53.75
Kiribati	20	2	3.8
China	1862630	14	14.9	19.8
Colombia	58761	14	14.7	23.62
Comoros	115	2	2
Republic of the Congo	401	1	1
North Korea	74597	33	33
Costa Rica	5204	13	11.1	27.7
Ivory Coast	2746	1	1.4
Cuba	72416	64	67.2	84.2
Kuwait	4840	18	17.9	22.93
Kyrgyzstan	12395	23	19.7
Laos	2000	3	1.8	3.27
Latvia	6940	30	35.8	33.45
Lesotho	89	1	1
Liberia	51	0.5	0.1
Lebanon	11760	33	32
Libya	7070	12	19
Lithuania	13729	40	41.2	49.5
Luxembourg	1326	29	29	30.1
Mauritius	1303	11	11	26.58
Mauritania	445	1	1.3
Madagascar	3150	2	1.6
Malawi	257	0.5	0.2	0.49
Malaysia	17020	7	12	22.28
Mali	1060	1	0.8
Maldives	302	9	14.2
Malta	1357	34	34.9	54.85
Morocco	18269	6	6.2	7.3
Marshall Islands	24	5	4.4
Mexico	303519	29	21	23.8
Federated States of Micronesia	60	6	1.8	9.63
Mozambique	548	0.5	0.4	0.81
Monaco	270	71.7	71.7
Mongolia	6732	26	28.4
Myanmar	17791	4	6.1
Namibia	598	3	3.7
Nauru	10	8	7.1
Nepal	5384	2	2	8.67
Niger	288	0.5	0.2	0.34
Nigeria	55376	4	4.1	3.8
Netherlands	64417	39	39	38.36
Nicaragua	2045	4	9
Niue	4	20	30
New Zealand	8190	21	27.4	35.16
Norway	18143	39	42.8	51.68
Tanzania	300	0.5	0.3
United Arab Emirates	6946	15	25.3	28.79
Oman	4908	18	24.3	19.94
Cook Islands	20	12	12
Pakistan	127859	8	8.3	9.8
Palau	30	16	13.8	17.78
Panama	4431	15	16.5	16.29
Papua New Guinea	275	1	0.6	0.63
Paraguay	6355	11	12.3	32.42
Peru	34437	11.3	11.3	16.46
Poland	77479	20	22.2	37.17
Portugal	36138	34	41	41.4
South Korea	81998	17	21.4	25.08
Moldova	11167	27	29.8	40.57
Russia	614183	43	43	40.1
Rwanda	221	0.5	0.6
Romania	41455	19	24.5
El Salvador	7938	12	16	29.13
Samoa	50	3	4.5	5.54
San Marino	163	51.0	51
São Tomé and Príncipe	81	5	5
Saudi Arabia	41870	16	24.9	27.6
Eswatini	171	2	1.7	1.4
Seychelles	121	15	10.7
Senegal	741	1	0.6	0.84
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	89	8	8
Saint Kitts and Nevis	46	11	11
Saint Lucia	18	1.1	1.1
Serbia	20013	20	21.1
Singapore	6380	15	19.5
Syria	10342	5	14.6
Slovakia	16868	31	33.2	46.29
Slovenia	4766	24	25.2	32.79
United Kingdom	126126	21	28.1	31.71
United States	793648	27	24.5	26.1
Solomon Islands	60	1	2.2
Somalia	300	0.5	0.5
Sudan	11083	3	2.8
Suriname	191	5	5
Sierra Leone	95	0.5	0.2	0.7
Tajikistan	13267	20	19.2
Thailand	18987	3	3.9	9.28
Timor-Leste	79	1	0.7	7.67
Togo	349	1	0.5	0.59
Tonga	30	3	5.6	10.09
Trinidad and Tobago	1543	12	11.8	34.12
Tuvalu	10	9	10.9	12.61
Tunisia	13330	13	12.2
Turkmenistan	12104	24	24
Turkey	110482	15	17.1	18.5
Uganda	3361	1	1	1.58
Uzbekistan	71627	26	25.3
Ukraine	143728	31	35.4
Uruguay	12384	37	37.4	62
Fiji	380	5	4.3
Philippines	90370	12	12	7.83
Finland	17503	33	29.1	43.25
France	227683	37	31.9	32.7
Croatia	11799	26	28.4
Central African Republic	331	1	0.5	0.7
Chad	345	0.5	0.5	0.4
Montenegro	1233	20	21.1	27.68
Czech Republic	36815	36	36.2	54.69
Chile	17250	11	17.8	29.73
Switzerland	28812	40	40.5	43
Sweden	32495	36	39.3	70.62
Sri Lanka	10479	6	6.8	11.92
Ecuador	18335	15	17.2
Equatorial Guinea	153	3	3
Eritrea	215	1	1	0.82
Estonia	4414	33	32.4	38.63
Ethiopia	1806	0.5	0.3	1.04
South Africa	34829	8	7.8	8.09
Jamaica	2253	9	4.1
Japan	270371	21	23	24.1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naturopathy</span> Form of alternative medicine

Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult to generalize, these treatments range from the pseudoscientific and thoroughly discredited, like homeopathy, to the widely accepted, like certain forms of psychotherapy. The ideology and methods of naturopathy are based on vitalism and folk medicine rather than evidence-based medicine, although practitioners may use techniques supported by evidence. The ethics of naturopathy have been called into question by medical professionals and its practice has been characterized as quackery.

Assisted suicide – sometimes referred to as medical aid in dying – means a procedure in which people take medications to end their own lives with the help of others, usually medical professionals. The term usually refers to physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which is an end of life measure for a person suffering a painful, terminal illness. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifies under the physician-assisted suicide laws for that location, the physician's assistance is usually limited to writing a prescription for a lethal dose of drugs.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 in 2022.

A Physician Assistant or Physician Associate (PA) is a type of healthcare professional. While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes between smaller jurisdictions such as states or provinces. Depending on location, PAs practice semi-autonomously under the supervision of a physician, or autonomously perform a subset of medical services classically provided by physicians.

Midwestern University (MWU) is a private medical and professional school with campuses in Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona. As of the 2022–23 academic year, a total of 2,758 students were enrolled at the Downers Grove campus and 3,782 were enrolled at the Glendale campus.

Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States. It is located in East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, on the eastern border of Central Park stretching along Madison and Fifth Avenues, between East 98th Street and East 103rd Street. The entire Mount Sinai health system has over 7,400 physicians, as well as 3,919 beds, and delivers over 16,000 babies a year.

Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the late 20th century that sports medicine emerged as a distinct field of health care. In some countries, sports medicine is a recognized medical specialty. In the majority of countries where sports medicine is recognized and practiced, it is a physician (non-surgical) specialty, but in some, it can equally be a surgical or non-surgical medical specialty, and also a specialty field within primary care. In other contexts, the field of sports medicine encompasses the scope of both medical specialists as well as allied health practitioners who work in the field of sport, such as physiotherapists, athletic trainers, podiatrists and exercise physiologists.

Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is named a family physician. It is often referred to as general practice and a practitioner as a general practitioner. Historically, their role was once performed by any doctor with qualifications from a medical school and who works in the community. However, since the 1950s, family medicine / general practice has become a specialty in its own right, with specific training requirements tailored to each country. The names of the specialty emphasize its holistic nature and/or its roots in the family. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, focusing on disease prevention and health promotion. According to the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), the aim of family medicine is "promoting personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual in the context of the family and the community". The issues of values underlying this practice are usually known as primary care ethics.

In the United Kingdom, junior doctors are qualified medical practitioners working whilst engaged in postgraduate training. The period of being a junior doctor starts when they qualify as a medical practitioner following graduation with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree and start the UK Foundation Programme. It culminates in a post as a consultant, a general practitioner (GP), or becoming a SAS Doctor, such as a specialty doctor or Specialist post.

The Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy (MD–PhD) is a dual doctoral degree for physician–scientists, combining the professional training of the Doctor of Medicine degree with the research expertise of the Doctor of Philosophy degree; the Ph.D. is the most advanced credential in the United States. Other dual degree programs exist, such as the joint MD–JD degree; both the JD professional degree and the MD are not universally recognized internationally, however. The National Institutes of Health currently provides 50 medical schools with Medical Scientist Training Program grants that support the training of students in MD–PhD programs at these institutions through tuition and stipend allowances. These programs are often competitive, with some admitting as few as two students per academic year. The MCAT score and GPA of MD–PhD matriculants are often higher than MD only matriculants.

Siddha medicine is a form of traditional medicine originating in southern India. It is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India.

Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.) is a professional degree focused on Ayurveda offered in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

The Swedish health care system is mainly government-funded, universal for all citizens and decentralized, although private health care also exists. The health care system in Sweden is financed primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities. A total of 21 councils are in charge with primary and hospital care within the country.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) is a private osteopathic medical and health professional school in Yakima, Washington. The university focuses on educating health care professionals to serve "rural and medically underserved communities throughout the Northwest". Founded in 2005, the university's inaugural program was the first new medical school to open in the Pacific Northwest in sixty years. PNWU grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree and graduated its first class of physicians in May 2012. Since then, PNWU has continued to expand and now includes the School of Physical Therapy (SOPT), School of Occupational Therapy (SOT), and a School of Dental Medicine (SDM).

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become licensed as a physician or surgeon and thus have full medical and surgical practicing rights in all 50 US states. As of 2021, there were 168,701 osteopathic physicians and medical students in DO programs across the United States. Osteopathic medicine emerged historically from osteopathy, but has become a distinct profession.

The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, comprising the National Health Service in England, NHS Scotland and NHS Wales. Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland was created separately and is often locally referred to as "the NHS". The original three systems were established in 1948 as part of major social reforms following the Second World War. The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, provided without charge for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care. In England, NHS patients have to pay prescription charges; some, such as those aged over 60, or those on certain state benefits, are exempt.

Italy's healthcare system is consistently ranked among the best in the world. The Italian healthcare system employs a Beveridge model, and operates on the assumption that health care is a human right that should be provided to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Life expectancy is the 4th highest among OECD countries and the world's 8th highest according to the WHO. Healthcare spending accounted for 9.7% of GDP in 2020.

Healthcare in the United States is largely provided by private sector healthcare facilities, and paid for by a combination of public programs, private insurance, and out-of-pocket payments. The U.S. is the only developed country without a system of universal healthcare, and a significant proportion of its population lacks health insurance.

Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, or D4DPR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a global voice for licensed health professionals and scientists advocating for evidence-based drug policies and best practices that advance public health, reduce stigma, and minimize harm. D4DPR leverage the expertise, compassion, and influence of licensed health professionals to enact changes in drug policy necessary to improve public health, human rights, social justice, and consumer protections. D4DPR, formerly DFCR, was founded in 2015 by David L. Nathan. In 2021, Dr. Bryon Adinoff, an addictionologist, researcher, and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse succeeded Nathan to become D4DPR's second president.

Mikhail "Mike" Varshavski, known online as Doctor Mike, is a Russian-American internet personality, family physician, philanthropist, and amateur boxer. His Instagram account went viral after he was featured in BuzzFeed and People magazine named him The Sexiest Doctor Alive in 2015. He has a YouTube channel on which he posts medically themed entertainment videos and debunks false medical claims.

References

↑ "WHO 2010" (PDF).
↑ "WHO 2015" (PDF).
↑ WHO, GHO (2023-01-12). "Medical doctors (per 10 000 population)". World Health Organization. Retrieved 2023-10-11.

"WHO 2020" (PDF). p. 62. Retrieved 2020-12-26.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "WHO 2010" (PDF).

[2] "WHO 2015" (PDF).

[3] WHO, GHO (2023-01-12). "Medical doctors (per 10 000 population)". World Health Organization. Retrieved 2023-10-11.

[1]

[2]

[3]