Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kenya
Kenya: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kenya, 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 Kenya stood at 0.289 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 22.5% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kenya peaked at 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.074 per 1,000 people, in 2020.
That places Kenya 153rd out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0835 per 1,000 people | 0.075 per 1,000 people | 0.092 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.126 per 1,000 people | 0.125 per 1,000 people | 0.127 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.1243 per 1,000 people | 0.099 per 1,000 people | 0.154 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.135 per 1,000 people | 0.132 per 1,000 people | 0.138 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.1593 per 1,000 people | 0.138 per 1,000 people | 0.171 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.1807 per 1,000 people | 0.16 per 1,000 people | 0.199 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 2020s | 0.1742 per 1,000 people | 0.074 per 1,000 people | 0.289 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 150 Zambia 0.324 per 1,000 people compare
- 151 Afghanistan 0.317 per 1,000 people compare
- 152 Haiti 0.292 per 1,000 people compare
- 154 Ghana 0.266 per 1,000 people compare
- 155 Mauritania 0.261 per 1,000 people compare
- 156 Guinea-Bissau 0.252 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Kenya
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 3 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 3 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 504,714 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 527,528 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 526,588 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 546,326 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 548,338 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 564,731 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kenya?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kenya was 0.289 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.074 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Kenya ranks 153rd out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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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