Medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea
South Korea: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.61 per 1,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
2.61 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
74th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.61 per 1,000 people
in 2022
All-time low
0.5 per 1,000 people
in 1981
Years of data
42
1981–2022
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea, 1981–2022
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 2022, medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea stood at 2.61 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea peaked at 2.61 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.5 per 1,000 people, in 1981.
South Korea ranks 74th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1982 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1985 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.8 per 1,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1990 | 0.812 per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 0.876 per 1,000 people | +7.9% |
| 1992 | 0.949 per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1993 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 1.06 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 1.12 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 1.17 per 1,000 people | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 1.23 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 1.27 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.32 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | +7.4% |
| 2003 | 1.58 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 1.58 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 1.64 per 1,000 people | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 1.75 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 1.87 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 1.95 per 1,000 people | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 2.02 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 2.06 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 2.17 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 2.21 per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.24 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 2.29 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 2.34 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 2.39 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 2.46 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 2.51 per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 2.52 per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 2.61 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 2.61 per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 73% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 2.61 per 1,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06 per 1,000 people, 2.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.6111 per 1,000 people | 0.5 per 1,000 people | 0.8 per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.08 per 1,000 people | 0.812 per 1,000 people | 1.32 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.63 per 1,000 people | 1.3 per 1,000 people | 1.95 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.23 per 1,000 people | 2.02 per 1,000 people | 2.46 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.54 per 1,000 people | 2.51 per 1,000 people | 2.61 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More health data for South Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,072 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 69 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.66 % 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 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.76 % 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 South Korea?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea was 2.61 per 1,000 people in 2022, 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.61 per 1,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5 per 1,000 people in 1981.
- How does South Korea rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- South Korea ranks 74th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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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