Medical doctors in South Africa

South Africa: Medical doctors was 7.66 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
7.66
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
127th
of 187 countries
All-time high
8.16
in 2023
All-time low
6.79
in 2007
Years of data
19
2004–2024

Medical doctors in South Africa, 2004–2024

024682004201420242004: 7.12007: 6.82008: 6.82009: 6.92010: 72011: 7.12012: 7.22013: 7.32014: 7.42015: 7.62016: 7.52017: 7.82018: 7.42019: 7.82020: 7.22021: 7.82022: 7.92023: 8.22024: 7.7

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 7.66 for medical doctors in 2024.

That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, medical doctors in South Africa peaked at 8.16 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.79, in 2007.

That places South Africa 127th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Medical doctors in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Medical doctors (per 10,000) in South Africa, 2004 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2004 7.11
2007 6.79 -4.5%
2008 6.79 +0.0%
2009 6.9 +1.6%
2010 7.05 +2.2%
2011 7.09 +0.6%
2012 7.15 +0.8%
2013 7.29 +2.0%
2014 7.4 +1.5%
2015 7.63 +3.1%
2016 7.53 -1.3%
2017 7.75 +2.9%
2018 7.42 -4.3%
2019 7.79 +5.0%
2020 7.25 -6.9%
2021 7.81 +7.7%
2022 7.94 +1.7%
2023 8.16 +2.8%
2024 7.66 -6.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.9 6.79 7.11 4
2010s 7.41 7.05 7.79 10
2020s 7.76 7.25 8.16 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 124 Philippines 8.69 compare
  2. 125 Morocco 7.93 compare
  3. 126 Timor-Leste 7.68 compare
  4. 128 Myanmar 7.57 compare
  5. 129 Fiji 7.54 compare
  6. 130 Bahrain 7.41 compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is medical doctors in South Africa?
Medical doctors in South Africa was 7.66 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest medical doctors recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8.16 in 2023.
What is the lowest medical doctors recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.79 in 2007.
How does South Africa rank for medical doctors?
South Africa ranks 127th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
Is medical doctors rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Medical doctors (per 10,000). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Medical doctors in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/medical-doctors-per-10-000/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Medical doctors (per 10,000)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
188 places, 3,662 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed