Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Nepal
Nepal: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 1.01 per 1,000 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Nepal, 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
Nepal recorded 1.01 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 14.4% on the previous year and up 83.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Nepal peaked at 1.01 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.013 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
Nepal ranks 120th of 194 countries on this measure, 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.013 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.021 per 1,000 people | +61.5% |
| 1970 | 0.019 per 1,000 people | -9.5% |
| 1975 | 0.019 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.034 per 1,000 people | +78.9% |
| 1984 | 0.031 per 1,000 people | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 0.034 per 1,000 people | +9.7% |
| 1987 | 0.051 per 1,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1988 | 0.051 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.054 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 0.051 per 1,000 people | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 0.062 per 1,000 people | +21.6% |
| 1992 | 0.076 per 1,000 people | +22.6% |
| 1993 | 0.074 per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 0.04 per 1,000 people | -45.9% |
| 1996 | 0.04 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.04 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.04 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.052 per 1,000 people | +30.0% |
| 2004 | 0.207 per 1,000 people | +298.1% |
| 2012 | 0.506 per 1,000 people | +144.4% |
| 2013 | 0.55 per 1,000 people | +8.7% |
| 2017 | 0.681 per 1,000 people | +23.8% |
| 2018 | 0.749 per 1,000 people | +10.0% |
| 2019 | 0.815 per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 0.857 per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 0.884 per 1,000 people | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 1.01 per 1,000 people | +14.4% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 1.01 per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 2.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 1.01 per 1,000 people is above the median for South Asia, which is 0.867 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +298.1% | 0.052 per 1,000 people | 0.207 per 1,000 people |
| 2012 | +144.4% | 0.207 per 1,000 people | 0.506 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.017 per 1,000 people | 0.013 per 1,000 people | 0.021 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.019 per 1,000 people | 0.019 per 1,000 people | 0.019 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.0425 per 1,000 people | 0.031 per 1,000 people | 0.054 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 1990s | 0.0529 per 1,000 people | 0.04 per 1,000 people | 0.076 per 1,000 people | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.1295 per 1,000 people | 0.052 per 1,000 people | 0.207 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.6602 per 1,000 people | 0.506 per 1,000 people | 0.815 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 0.9173 per 1,000 people | 0.857 per 1,000 people | 1.01 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More health data for Nepal
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8518 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,326 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 955 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.17 % 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 0.0451 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.11 % 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 Nepal?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Nepal was 1.01 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.013 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Nepal rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Nepal ranks 120th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 83.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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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