Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran
Iran: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 1.81 per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran, 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
The most recent figure for medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran is 1.81 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran peaked at 1.81 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.244 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Iran 92nd out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.244 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.257 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 0.306 per 1,000 people | +19.1% |
| 1981 | 0.338 per 1,000 people | +10.5% |
| 1986 | 0.347 per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 0.376 per 1,000 people | +8.4% |
| 1988 | 0.318 per 1,000 people | -15.4% |
| 1993 | 0.318 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.85 per 1,000 people | +167.3% |
| 1998 | 1.05 per 1,000 people | +23.4% |
| 2004 | 0.865 per 1,000 people | -17.5% |
| 2005 | 0.861 per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.515 per 1,000 people | -40.2% |
| 2014 | 1.43 per 1,000 people | +177.7% |
| 2015 | 1.09 per 1,000 people | -23.4% |
| 2017 | 1.07 per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | +40.5% |
| 2023 | 1.81 per 1,000 people | +20.3% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 1.81 per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 98% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 1.81 per 1,000 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.74 per 1,000 people, 1.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +177.7% | 0.515 per 1,000 people | 1.43 per 1,000 people |
| 1996 | +167.3% | 0.318 per 1,000 people | 0.85 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2505 per 1,000 people | 0.244 per 1,000 people | 0.257 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.306 per 1,000 people | 0.306 per 1,000 people | 0.306 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.3448 per 1,000 people | 0.318 per 1,000 people | 0.376 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.739 per 1,000 people | 0.318 per 1,000 people | 1.05 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2000s | 0.747 per 1,000 people | 0.515 per 1,000 people | 0.865 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2010s | 1.28 per 1,000 people | 1.07 per 1,000 people | 1.5 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 2020s | 1.81 per 1,000 people | 1.81 per 1,000 people | 1.81 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More health data for Iran
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.38 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.5627 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,361 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1,070 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.88 % 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 0.0311 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.95 % 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 Iran?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Iran was 1.81 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 1.81 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.244 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Iran rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Iran ranks 92nd out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran 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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