Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Canada
Canada: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.82 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
68th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.82 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
1.1 per 1,000 people
in 1961
Years of data
57
1961–2023
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Canada, 1961–2023
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 Canada stood at 2.82 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 57 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Canada peaked at 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.1 per 1,000 people, in 1961.
That places Canada 68th 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 57 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Canada, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1962 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1963 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1964 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1972 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1973 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1979 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.86 per 1,000 people | -11.4% |
| 1999 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +12.8% |
| 2001 | 1.89 per 1,000 people | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.91 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 1.96 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 2.04 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 2.4 per 1,000 people | +17.6% |
| 2013 | 2.45 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 2.5 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 2.31 per 1,000 people | -9.0% |
| 2017 | 2.61 per 1,000 people | +13.0% |
| 2018 | 2.41 per 1,000 people | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 2.42 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 2.42 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 2.44 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 2.81 per 1,000 people | +15.1% |
| 2023 | 2.82 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 2.82 per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 78% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.64 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.96 per 1,000 people | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.09 per 1,000 people | 1.86 per 1,000 people | 2.2 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.91 per 1,000 people | 1.89 per 1,000 people | 1.96 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.41 per 1,000 people | 2.04 per 1,000 people | 2.61 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 2020s | 2.62 per 1,000 people | 2.42 per 1,000 people | 2.82 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 65 Antigua and Barbuda 2.92 per 1,000 people compare
- 66 Jordan 2.85 per 1,000 people compare
- 67 Singapore 2.83 per 1,000 people compare
- 69 Uzbekistan 2.81 per 1,000 people compare
- 70 Montenegro 2.78 per 1,000 people compare
- 71 Costa Rica 2.69 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5214 % 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 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5024 % 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 Canada?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Canada was 2.82 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 2.82 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Canada ranks 68th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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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