Physicians per 1000 people in Kenya
Kenya: Physicians per 1000 people was 0.289 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.289
Change on year
up 22.5%
World rank
153rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
0.289
in 2023
All-time low
0.074
in 2020
Years of data
22
1960–2023
Physicians per 1000 people in Kenya, 1960–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, physicians per 1000 people in Kenya stood at 0.289. 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, physicians per 1000 people in Kenya peaked at 0.289 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.074, 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.
Physicians per 1000 people in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.092 | — |
| 1965 | 0.075 | -18.5% |
| 1970 | 0.125 | +66.7% |
| 1975 | 0.127 | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 0.099 | -22.0% |
| 1982 | 0.12 | +21.2% |
| 1985 | 0.154 | +28.3% |
| 1993 | 0.138 | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 0.132 | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 0.138 | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.169 | +22.5% |
| 2009 | 0.171 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.171 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.177 | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 0.184 | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 0.193 | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.199 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 0.16 | -19.6% |
| 2020 | 0.074 | -53.8% |
| 2021 | 0.098 | +32.4% |
| 2022 | 0.236 | +140.8% |
| 2023 | 0.289 | +22.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.289 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.289 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.188, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0835 | 0.075 | 0.092 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.126 | 0.125 | 0.127 | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.1243 | 0.099 | 0.154 | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.135 | 0.132 | 0.138 | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.1593 | 0.138 | 0.171 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.1807 | 0.16 | 0.199 | 6 |
| 2020s | 0.1742 | 0.074 | 0.289 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 150 Zambia 0.324 compare
- 151 Afghanistan 0.317 compare
- 152 Haiti 0.292 compare
- 154 Ghana 0.266 compare
- 155 Mauritania 0.261 compare
- 156 Guinea-Bissau 0.252 compare
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is physicians per 1000 people in Kenya?
- Physicians per 1000 people in Kenya was 0.289 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest physicians per 1000 people recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.289 in 2023.
- What is the lowest physicians per 1000 people recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.074 in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for physicians per 1000 people?
- Kenya ranks 153rd out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is physicians per 1000 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 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 — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).