Physicians per 1000 people in China
China: Physicians per 1000 people was 3.11 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Physicians per 1000 people in China, 1965–2022
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
China recorded 3.11 for physicians per 1000 people in 2022. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 23.6% on the previous year and up 99.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, physicians per 1000 people in China peaked at 3.11 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.85, in 1971.
China ranks 57th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Physicians per 1000 people in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.07 | — |
| 1966 | 0.96 | -10.3% |
| 1967 | 0.94 | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 0.91 | -3.2% |
| 1969 | 0.88 | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 0.86 | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 0.85 | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 0.86 | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 0.89 | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 0.92 | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 0.96 | +4.3% |
| 1976 | 1 | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 1.03 | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 1.12 | +8.7% |
| 1981 | 1.25 | +11.6% |
| 1982 | 1.3 | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 1.32 | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.33 | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 1.35 | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 1.37 | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 1.47 | +7.3% |
| 1989 | 1.54 | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 1.13 | -26.6% |
| 1995 | 1.19 | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 1.2 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.21 | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 1.21 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 1.24 | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 1.26 | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1.28 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 1.14 | -11.2% |
| 2003 | 1.19 | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 1.22 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 1.24 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 1.27 | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 1.29 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 1.34 | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 1.42 | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 1.46 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 1.49 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 1.56 | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 1.66 | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 1.71 | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 1.8 | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 1.89 | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 2 | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 2.12 | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 2.25 | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 2.38 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 2.52 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 3.11 | +23.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 3.11 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84, 1.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 3.11 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06, 2.9× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Physicians per 1000 people in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -26.6% | 1.54 | 1.13 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.952 | 0.88 | 1.07 | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.9433 | 0.85 | 1.12 | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.37 | 1.25 | 1.54 | 8 |
| 1990s | 1.2 | 1.13 | 1.24 | 6 |
| 2000s | 1.26 | 1.14 | 1.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.79 | 1.46 | 2.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.67 | 2.38 | 3.11 | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 54 United Kingdom 3.3 compare
- 55 France 3.28 compare
- 56 Azerbaijan 3.19 compare
- 58 Serbia 3.1 compare
- 59 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.08 compare
- 60 Qatar 3.02 compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,642 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % 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 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0176 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physicians per 1000 people in China?
- Physicians per 1000 people in China was 3.11 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest physicians per 1000 people recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.11 in 2022.
- What is the lowest physicians per 1000 people recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.85 in 1971.
- How does China rank for physicians per 1000 people?
- China ranks 57th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is physicians per 1000 people rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 99.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Physicians per 1000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).