Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iceland
Iceland: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 4.37 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.37 per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
21st
of 194 countries
All-time high
4.44 per 1,000 people
in 2022
All-time low
1.2 per 1,000 people
in 1960
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iceland, 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 Iceland stood at 4.37 per 1,000 people.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and up 21.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iceland peaked at 4.44 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.2 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
Iceland ranks 21st of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iceland, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1969 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 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 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1976 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 2.3 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 2.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2.4 per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2.7 per 1,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 2.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2.8 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 2.85 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 2.85 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 2.95 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 2.95 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 3.02 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 3.12 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 3.26 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 3.32 per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 3.38 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 3.44 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.47 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.58 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 3.62 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 4.19 per 1,000 people | +16.0% |
| 2005 | 3.61 per 1,000 people | -13.8% |
| 2006 | 3.6 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 3.61 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 3.64 per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 3.65 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 3.59 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 3.5 per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 3.56 per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 3.61 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 3.64 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.77 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 3.85 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 3.87 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 3.89 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 3.89 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.32 per 1,000 people | +10.9% |
| 2021 | 4.38 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 4.44 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 4.37 per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 4.37 per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 4.37 per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.73 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.22 per 1,000 people | 1.2 per 1,000 people | 1.3 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.74 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 2 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.47 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.07 per 1,000 people | 2.85 per 1,000 people | 3.38 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.64 per 1,000 people | 3.44 per 1,000 people | 4.19 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.72 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 3.89 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.38 per 1,000 people | 4.32 per 1,000 people | 4.44 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More health data for Iceland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2085)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4982 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,358 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 0 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.1533 % 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 0.0283 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1097 % 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 Iceland?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iceland was 4.37 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.44 per 1,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Iceland rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Iceland ranks 21st out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).