Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Malaysia
Malaysia: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 2.34 per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
2.34 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
80th
of 194 countries
All-time high
2.34 per 1,000 people
in 2023
All-time low
0.143 per 1,000 people
in 1960
Years of data
45
1960–2023
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 2.34 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people in 2023. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 50.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Malaysia peaked at 2.34 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.143 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Malaysia 80th 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.143 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.161 per 1,000 people | +12.6% |
| 1970 | 0.232 per 1,000 people | +44.1% |
| 1975 | 0.234 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 0.255 per 1,000 people | +9.0% |
| 1981 | 0.255 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.315 per 1,000 people | +23.5% |
| 1986 | 0.335 per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
| 1987 | 0.348 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 0.367 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 0.374 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 0.393 per 1,000 people | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 0.392 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 0.41 per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 0.429 per 1,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 0.446 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 0.473 per 1,000 people | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 0.489 per 1,000 people | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 0.667 per 1,000 people | +36.4% |
| 1998 | 0.686 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 0.691 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.68 per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 0.686 per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.724 per 1,000 people | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 0.737 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 0.722 per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 0.778 per 1,000 people | +7.8% |
| 2006 | 0.83 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 0.879 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 0.911 per 1,000 people | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 1.09 per 1,000 people | +19.2% |
| 2010 | 1.15 per 1,000 people | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 1.25 per 1,000 people | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 1.55 per 1,000 people | +19.2% |
| 2014 | 1.48 per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 1.49 per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.58 per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 1.79 per 1,000 people | +13.4% |
| 2018 | 1.86 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 2.02 per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 2.18 per 1,000 people | +8.0% |
| 2021 | 2.27 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 2.29 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 2.34 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 2.34 per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 2.34 per 1,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06 per 1,000 people, 2.2× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +44.1% | 0.161 per 1,000 people | 0.232 per 1,000 people |
| 1997 | +36.4% | 0.489 per 1,000 people | 0.667 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.152 per 1,000 people | 0.143 per 1,000 people | 0.161 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.233 per 1,000 people | 0.232 per 1,000 people | 0.234 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.3213 per 1,000 people | 0.255 per 1,000 people | 0.374 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 1990s | 0.5076 per 1,000 people | 0.392 per 1,000 people | 0.691 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8033 per 1,000 people | 0.68 per 1,000 people | 1.09 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.55 per 1,000 people | 1.15 per 1,000 people | 2.02 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.27 per 1,000 people | 2.18 per 1,000 people | 2.34 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % 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 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % 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 Malaysia?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Malaysia was 2.34 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.34 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.143 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Malaysia rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Malaysia ranks 80th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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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