Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait
Kuwait: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.27 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait, 1960–2020
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 Kuwait is 2.27 per 1,000 people, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 8.9% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait peaked at 2.67 per 1,000 people in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.871 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Kuwait 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.871 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 1.26 per 1,000 people | +45.0% |
| 1970 | 0.954 per 1,000 people | -24.5% |
| 1980 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +78.0% |
| 1981 | 1.41 per 1,000 people | -16.8% |
| 1982 | 1.62 per 1,000 people | +14.7% |
| 1986 | 1.57 per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 1.78 per 1,000 people | +13.9% |
| 1997 | 1.89 per 1,000 people | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | -21.1% |
| 2005 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +20.0% |
| 2006 | 1.46 per 1,000 people | -18.9% |
| 2007 | 1.88 per 1,000 people | +28.7% |
| 2008 | 1.88 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.91 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 2.47 per 1,000 people | +29.3% |
| 2011 | 2.48 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 2.48 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 2.55 per 1,000 people | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 2.67 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 2.65 per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 2.11 per 1,000 people | -20.4% |
| 2017 | 2.11 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.03 per 1,000 people | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 2.09 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 2.27 per 1,000 people | +8.9% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 2.27 per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 63% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 2.27 per 1,000 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.74 per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +78.0% | 0.954 per 1,000 people | 1.7 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.07 per 1,000 people | 0.871 per 1,000 people | 1.26 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.954 per 1,000 people | 0.954 per 1,000 people | 0.954 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 1.57 per 1,000 people | 1.41 per 1,000 people | 1.7 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 1.84 per 1,000 people | 1.78 per 1,000 people | 1.89 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.76 per 1,000 people | 1.46 per 1,000 people | 1.91 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.36 per 1,000 people | 2.03 per 1,000 people | 2.67 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.27 per 1,000 people | 2.27 per 1,000 people | 2.27 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More health data for Kuwait
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9259 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.41 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 287.2 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 107 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.9273 % 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 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6875 % 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 Kuwait?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Kuwait was 2.27 per 1,000 people in 2020, 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 2.67 per 1,000 people in 2014.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.871 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Kuwait rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Kuwait ranks 82nd out of 194 countries with data for 2020.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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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