Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Colombia
Colombia: Physicians (per 1,000 people) was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Physicians in Colombia, 1960–2023
Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, physicians in Colombia stood at 2.54 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 34.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physicians in Colombia peaked at 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.354 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Colombia 77th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.354 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.377 per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 0.42 per 1,000 people | +11.4% |
| 1977 | 0.478 per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 1990 | 0.807 per 1,000 people | +68.8% |
| 1991 | 0.863 per 1,000 people | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 0.922 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 0.963 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 1.05 per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 1.09 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 1.14 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 1.19 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 1.22 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 1.26 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 1.29 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.32 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 1.35 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 1.39 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 1.43 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.47 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.51 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 1.56 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.62 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 1.67 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 1.75 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 1.81 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 1.88 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 1.96 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 2.02 per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.09 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.16 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 2.24 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 2.32 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 2.39 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 2.47 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 2.54 per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 2.54 per 1,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9 per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +68.8% | 0.478 per 1,000 people | 0.807 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3655 per 1,000 people | 0.354 per 1,000 people | 0.377 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.449 per 1,000 people | 0.42 per 1,000 people | 0.478 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.03 per 1,000 people | 0.807 per 1,000 people | 1.22 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.42 per 1,000 people | 1.26 per 1,000 people | 1.62 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.99 per 1,000 people | 1.67 per 1,000 people | 2.32 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.47 per 1,000 people | 2.39 per 1,000 people | 2.54 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 74 South Korea 2.61 per 1,000 people compare
- 75 Mexico 2.59 per 1,000 people compare
- 76 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.58 per 1,000 people compare
- 78 Dominican Republic 2.43 per 1,000 people compare
- 79 Brazil 2.36 per 1,000 people compare
- 80 Malaysia 2.34 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Colombia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3468 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 698 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3706 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0324 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.3776 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0338 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physicians in Colombia?
- Physicians in Colombia was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest physicians recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest physicians recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.354 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Colombia rank for physicians?
- Colombia ranks 77th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is physicians rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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 — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.