What is the difference in physicians between Japan and South Korea?

0.04 per 1,000 people, with Japan ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?

19 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2022.

Where does this data come from?

Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), published as Physicians (per 1,000 people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Japan vs South Korea: Physicians (per 1,000 people)

Japan

2.65 per 1,000 people

in 2022

South Korea

2.61 per 1,000 people

in 2022

Japan rank

73rd

South Korea rank

74th

Physicians (per 1,000 people) over time

Japan
South Korea

How they compare

Japan currently reports 2.65 per 1,000 people against 2.61 per 1,000 people in South Korea, a difference of 0.04 per 1,000 people.

Across all 19 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 73rd and South Korea ranks 74th of 194 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Japan	South Korea	Difference	Ahead
1980s	1.4 per 1,000 people	0.55 per 1,000 people	0.85 per 1,000 people	Japan
1990s	1.77 per 1,000 people	1.05 per 1,000 people	0.7186 per 1,000 people	Japan
2000s	2.03 per 1,000 people	1.59 per 1,000 people	0.4424 per 1,000 people	Japan
2010s	2.35 per 1,000 people	2.2 per 1,000 people	0.1512 per 1,000 people	Japan
2020s	2.62 per 1,000 people	2.56 per 1,000 people	0.062 per 1,000 people	Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher physicians, Japan or South Korea?: Japan, at 2.65 per 1,000 people against 2.61 per 1,000 people in South Korea as of 2022.
What is the difference in physicians between Japan and South Korea?: 0.04 per 1,000 people, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?: 19 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2022.
How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for physicians?: Japan ranks 73rd and South Korea ranks 74th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), published as Physicians (per 1,000 people). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs South Korea: Physicians. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/physicians-per-1-000-people/japan/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator: Physicians (per 1,000 people)
Unit: per 1,000 people
Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 5,326 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026

Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.