Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia
Colombia: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.54 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
77th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.54 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
0.354 per 1,000 people
in 1960
Years of data
37
1960–2023
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia, 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 Colombia stood at 2.54 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 34.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia peaked at 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.354 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
Colombia ranks 77th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.354 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.377 per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 0.42 per 1,000 people | +11.4% |
| 1977 | 0.478 per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 1990 | 0.807 per 1,000 people | +68.8% |
| 1991 | 0.863 per 1,000 people | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 0.922 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 0.963 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 1.05 per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 1.09 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 1.14 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 1.19 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 1.22 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 1.26 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 1.29 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.32 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 1.35 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 1.39 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 1.43 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.47 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.51 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 1.56 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.62 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 1.67 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 1.75 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 1.81 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 1.88 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 1.96 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 2.02 per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.09 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.16 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 2.24 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 2.32 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 2.39 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 2.47 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.54 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 2.54 per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 2.54 per 1,000 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9 per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia 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 | +68.8% | 0.478 per 1,000 people | 0.807 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3655 per 1,000 people | 0.354 per 1,000 people | 0.377 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.449 per 1,000 people | 0.42 per 1,000 people | 0.478 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.03 per 1,000 people | 0.807 per 1,000 people | 1.22 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.42 per 1,000 people | 1.26 per 1,000 people | 1.62 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.99 per 1,000 people | 1.67 per 1,000 people | 2.32 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.47 per 1,000 people | 2.39 per 1,000 people | 2.54 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 74 South Korea 2.61 per 1,000 people compare
- 75 Mexico 2.59 per 1,000 people compare
- 76 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.58 per 1,000 people compare
- 78 Dominican Republic 2.43 per 1,000 people compare
- 79 Brazil 2.36 per 1,000 people compare
- 80 Malaysia 2.34 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Colombia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3468 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,505 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 698 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3706 % 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 0.0324 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.3776 % 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 Colombia?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Colombia was 2.54 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.54 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.354 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Colombia rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Colombia ranks 77th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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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