Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin
Benin: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.216 per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin, 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
The most recent figure for medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin is 0.216 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.7% on the previous year and up 300.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin peaked at 0.216 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.03 per 1,000 people, in 1965.
Benin ranks 161st of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.04 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.03 per 1,000 people | -25.0% |
| 1970 | 0.034 per 1,000 people | +13.3% |
| 1980 | 0.059 per 1,000 people | +73.5% |
| 1981 | 0.059 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.075 per 1,000 people | +27.1% |
| 1985 | 0.073 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 0.071 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 0.051 per 1,000 people | -28.2% |
| 1991 | 0.042 per 1,000 people | -17.6% |
| 1992 | 0.055 per 1,000 people | +31.0% |
| 1993 | 0.057 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 0.061 per 1,000 people | +7.0% |
| 1995 | 0.058 per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 0.038 per 1,000 people | -34.5% |
| 2008 | 0.059 per 1,000 people | +55.3% |
| 2010 | 0.052 per 1,000 people | -11.9% |
| 2011 | 0.054 per 1,000 people | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 0.045 per 1,000 people | -16.7% |
| 2018 | 0.073 per 1,000 people | +62.2% |
| 2019 | 0.06 per 1,000 people | -17.8% |
| 2021 | 0.205 per 1,000 people | +241.7% |
| 2022 | 0.19 per 1,000 people | -7.3% |
| 2023 | 0.216 per 1,000 people | +13.7% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 0.216 per 1,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 61% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 0.216 per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.188 per 1,000 people, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +241.7% | 0.06 per 1,000 people | 0.205 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.035 per 1,000 people | 0.03 per 1,000 people | 0.04 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.034 per 1,000 people | 0.034 per 1,000 people | 0.034 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.0674 per 1,000 people | 0.059 per 1,000 people | 0.075 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.054 per 1,000 people | 0.042 per 1,000 people | 0.061 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 2000s | 0.0485 per 1,000 people | 0.038 per 1,000 people | 0.059 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.0568 per 1,000 people | 0.045 per 1,000 people | 0.073 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 0.2037 per 1,000 people | 0.19 per 1,000 people | 0.216 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More health data for Benin
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8458 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,002 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 13,632 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 21 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.21 % 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 0.0741 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Benin was 0.216 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 0.216 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.03 per 1,000 people in 1965.
- How does Benin rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Benin ranks 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 300.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin 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.
Download this data
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