What is the difference in physicians between Nigeria and Zambia?

0.056 per 1,000 people, with Nigeria ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Zambia?

15 years are reported by both, from 1960 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.

Nigeria vs Zambia: Physicians

Nigeria

0.38 per 1,000 people

in 2023

Zambia

0.324 per 1,000 people

in 2022

Nigeria rank

147th

Zambia rank

150th

Physicians over time

Nigeria
Zambia

How they compare

Nigeria currently reports 0.38 per 1,000 people against 0.324 per 1,000 people in Zambia, a difference of 0.056 per 1,000 people.

That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.2 times Zambia's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Zambia ahead.

Nigeria ranks 147th and Zambia ranks 150th of 194 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 4 and Zambia in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Nigeria	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1960s	0.03 per 1,000 people	0.0975 per 1,000 people	0.0675 per 1,000 people	Zambia
1970s	0.0495 per 1,000 people	0.0735 per 1,000 people	0.024 per 1,000 people	Zambia
1980s	0.1525 per 1,000 people	0.1085 per 1,000 people	0.044 per 1,000 people	Nigeria
2000s	0.3305 per 1,000 people	0.0572 per 1,000 people	0.2732 per 1,000 people	Nigeria
2010s	0.3827 per 1,000 people	0.1837 per 1,000 people	0.199 per 1,000 people	Nigeria
2020s	0.386 per 1,000 people	0.3095 per 1,000 people	0.0765 per 1,000 people	Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher physicians, Nigeria or Zambia?: Nigeria, at 0.38 per 1,000 people against 0.324 per 1,000 people in Zambia as of 2023.
What is the difference in physicians between Nigeria and Zambia?: 0.056 per 1,000 people, with Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Zambia?: 15 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2022.
How do Nigeria and Zambia rank globally for physicians?: Nigeria ranks 147th and Zambia ranks 150th 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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Nigeria vs Zambia: Physicians. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/physicians-per-1-000-people/nigeria/zambia/

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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: 20 August 2026

Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.