Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Ghana
Ghana: Physicians (per 1,000 people) was 0.266 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.266 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 86.0%
World rank
154th
of 194 countries
All-time high
0.266 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
0.043 per 1,000 people
in 1989
Years of data
27
1960–2023
Physicians in Ghana, 1960–2023
Source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 0.266 per 1,000 people for physicians in 2023. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 86.0% on the previous year and up 166.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physicians in Ghana peaked at 0.266 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.043 per 1,000 people, in 1989.
Ghana ranks 154th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Physicians (per 1,000 people) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.047 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.073 per 1,000 people | +55.3% |
| 1970 | 0.078 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1975 | 0.078 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.067 per 1,000 people | -14.1% |
| 1987 | 0.049 per 1,000 people | -26.9% |
| 1989 | 0.043 per 1,000 people | -12.2% |
| 1996 | 0.062 per 1,000 people | +44.2% |
| 2002 | 0.09 per 1,000 people | +45.2% |
| 2004 | 0.148 per 1,000 people | +64.4% |
| 2007 | 0.07 per 1,000 people | -52.7% |
| 2008 | 0.077 per 1,000 people | +10.0% |
| 2009 | 0.082 per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 0.091 per 1,000 people | +11.0% |
| 2011 | 0.095 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 0.093 per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 0.1 per 1,000 people | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 0.108 per 1,000 people | +8.0% |
| 2015 | 0.114 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 0.123 per 1,000 people | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 0.089 per 1,000 people | -27.6% |
| 2018 | 0.144 per 1,000 people | +61.8% |
| 2019 | 0.104 per 1,000 people | -27.8% |
| 2020 | 0.166 per 1,000 people | +59.6% |
| 2021 | 0.128 per 1,000 people | -22.9% |
| 2022 | 0.143 per 1,000 people | +11.7% |
| 2023 | 0.266 per 1,000 people | +86.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 0.266 per 1,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 75% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 0.266 per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.188 per 1,000 people, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.06 per 1,000 people | 0.047 per 1,000 people | 0.073 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.078 per 1,000 people | 0.078 per 1,000 people | 0.078 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.053 per 1,000 people | 0.043 per 1,000 people | 0.067 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.062 per 1,000 people | 0.062 per 1,000 people | 0.062 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.0934 per 1,000 people | 0.07 per 1,000 people | 0.148 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.1061 per 1,000 people | 0.089 per 1,000 people | 0.144 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1758 per 1,000 people | 0.128 per 1,000 people | 0.266 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 151 Afghanistan 0.317 per 1,000 people compare
- 152 Haiti 0.292 per 1,000 people compare
- 153 Kenya 0.289 per 1,000 people compare
- 155 Mauritania 0.261 per 1,000 people compare
- 156 Guinea-Bissau 0.252 per 1,000 people compare
- 157 Sudan 0.25 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,361 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5623 % 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 0.06 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % 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 0.0619 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physicians in Ghana?
- Physicians in Ghana was 0.266 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest physicians recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 0.266 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest physicians recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.043 per 1,000 people in 1989.
- How does Ghana rank for physicians?
- Ghana ranks 154th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is physicians rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 166.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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.
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About this data
Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.