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
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.
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
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 283,794 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 266,829 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 271,934 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 258,927 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 254,587 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 245,661 (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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