Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.317 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan, 1960–2023
Source: World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan stood at 0.317 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 25.3% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan peaked at 0.317 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.035 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Afghanistan 151st out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.035 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.063 per 1,000 people | +80.0% |
| 1970 | 0.065 per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 0.077 per 1,000 people | +18.5% |
| 1986 | 0.183 per 1,000 people | +137.7% |
| 1987 | 0.179 per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 0.129 per 1,000 people | -27.9% |
| 1990 | 0.109 per 1,000 people | -15.5% |
| 1993 | 0.143 per 1,000 people | +31.2% |
| 1997 | 0.11 per 1,000 people | -23.1% |
| 2001 | 0.202 per 1,000 people | +83.6% |
| 2006 | 0.166 per 1,000 people | -17.8% |
| 2007 | 0.182 per 1,000 people | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 0.183 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 0.22 per 1,000 people | +20.2% |
| 2010 | 0.244 per 1,000 people | +10.9% |
| 2011 | 0.258 per 1,000 people | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 0.246 per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 0.29 per 1,000 people | +17.9% |
| 2014 | 0.304 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 0.29 per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 0.284 per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 0.245 per 1,000 people | -13.7% |
| 2018 | 0.303 per 1,000 people | +23.7% |
| 2019 | 0.214 per 1,000 people | -29.4% |
| 2020 | 0.253 per 1,000 people | +18.2% |
| 2023 | 0.317 per 1,000 people | +25.3% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 0.317 per 1,000 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.1455 per 1,000 people, 2.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 0.317 per 1,000 people is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.74 per 1,000 people, 18% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +137.7% | 0.077 per 1,000 people | 0.183 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.049 per 1,000 people | 0.035 per 1,000 people | 0.063 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.065 per 1,000 people | 0.065 per 1,000 people | 0.065 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.142 per 1,000 people | 0.077 per 1,000 people | 0.183 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.1207 per 1,000 people | 0.109 per 1,000 people | 0.143 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2000s | 0.1906 per 1,000 people | 0.166 per 1,000 people | 0.22 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.2678 per 1,000 people | 0.214 per 1,000 people | 0.304 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.285 per 1,000 people | 0.253 per 1,000 people | 0.317 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 812.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Afghanistan was 0.317 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 0.317 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.035 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Afghanistan rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Afghanistan ranks 151st out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Medical doctors per 1,000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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