Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil
Brazil: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.36 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil, 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 Brazil stood at 2.36 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.6% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil peaked at 2.36 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.374 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
Brazil ranks 79th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.374 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.4 per 1,000 people | +7.0% |
| 1970 | 0.492 per 1,000 people | +23.0% |
| 1975 | 0.624 per 1,000 people | +26.8% |
| 1981 | 0.767 per 1,000 people | +22.9% |
| 1984 | 0.927 per 1,000 people | +20.9% |
| 1985 | 1.47 per 1,000 people | +58.3% |
| 1988 | 1.19 per 1,000 people | -19.2% |
| 1990 | 1.08 per 1,000 people | -8.4% |
| 1992 | 1.14 per 1,000 people | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 1.17 per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 1.23 per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 1.26 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 1.29 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 1.28 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 1.38 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 1.87 per 1,000 people | +35.6% |
| 2013 | 1.91 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +15.3% |
| 2019 | 2.35 per 1,000 people | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 2.19 per 1,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 2.36 per 1,000 people | +7.6% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 2.36 per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 2.36 per 1,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +58.3% | 0.927 per 1,000 people | 1.47 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.387 per 1,000 people | 0.374 per 1,000 people | 0.4 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.558 per 1,000 people | 0.492 per 1,000 people | 0.624 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.09 per 1,000 people | 0.767 per 1,000 people | 1.47 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 1.23 per 1,000 people | 1.08 per 1,000 people | 1.38 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.08 per 1,000 people | 1.87 per 1,000 people | 2.35 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 2020s | 2.27 per 1,000 people | 2.19 per 1,000 people | 2.36 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More health data for Brazil
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.86 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1539 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,496 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,476 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.66 % 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 0.0296 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.63 % 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 Brazil?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil was 2.36 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 2.36 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.374 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Brazil rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Brazil ranks 79th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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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