Physicians in Canada
Canada: Physicians was 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Physicians in Canada, 1961–2023
Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, physicians in Canada stood at 2.82 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 57 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physicians in Canada peaked at 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.1 per 1,000 people, in 1961.
Canada ranks 68th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.64 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.96 per 1,000 people | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.09 per 1,000 people | 1.86 per 1,000 people | 2.2 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.91 per 1,000 people | 1.89 per 1,000 people | 1.96 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.41 per 1,000 people | 2.04 per 1,000 people | 2.61 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2020s | 2.62 per 1,000 people | 2.42 per 1,000 people | 2.82 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 65 Antigua and Barbuda 2.92 per 1,000 people compare
- 66 Jordan 2.85 per 1,000 people compare
- 67 Singapore 2.83 per 1,000 people compare
- 69 Uzbekistan 2.81 per 1,000 people compare
- 70 Montenegro 2.78 per 1,000 people compare
- 71 Costa Rica 2.69 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Canada
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,083 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 385 (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by country 0 (2026)
- Population ages 65 and above, total 8.44 million (2025)
- Age population, age 14, male, interpolated 217,399 (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 18.9% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total 26.97 million (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male 13.58 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physicians in Canada?
- Physicians in Canada was 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest physicians recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest physicians recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for physicians?
- Canada ranks 68th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is physicians rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Physicians (per 1,000 people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.