Medical doctors per 1,000 people in New Zealand
New Zealand: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 3.61 per 1,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
3.61 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
42nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
3.61 per 1,000 people
in 2022
All-time low
1.1 per 1,000 people
in 1961
Years of data
51
1961–2022
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in New Zealand, 1961–2022
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
New Zealand recorded 3.61 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people in 2022. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in New Zealand peaked at 3.61 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.1 per 1,000 people, in 1961.
That places New Zealand 42nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1966 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.2 per 1,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1976 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1977 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1980 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.87 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 1.89 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.92 per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.98 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 2.05 per 1,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 2.05 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 2.18 per 1,000 people | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 2.23 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 2.25 per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 2.23 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 2.18 per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 2.12 per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 2.18 per 1,000 people | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 2.19 per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 2.27 per 1,000 people | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 2.3 per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 2.46 per 1,000 people | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 2.58 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 2.62 per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 2.65 per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 2.71 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 2.82 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 2.89 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 3.03 per 1,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 3.12 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 3.25 per 1,000 people | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 3.31 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 3.37 per 1,000 people | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 3.44 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 3.53 per 1,000 people | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 3.61 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 3.61 per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 3.61 per 1,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06 per 1,000 people, 3.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.32 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.5 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 1980s | 1.73 per 1,000 people | 1.6 per 1,000 people | 1.9 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.03 per 1,000 people | 1.87 per 1,000 people | 2.25 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.26 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 2.58 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.98 per 1,000 people | 2.62 per 1,000 people | 3.37 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.53 per 1,000 people | 3.44 per 1,000 people | 3.61 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.1187 % 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 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.018 % 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 New Zealand?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in New Zealand was 3.61 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 3.61 per 1,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 1961.
- How does New Zealand rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- New Zealand ranks 42nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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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