Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru
Peru: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 1.69 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru, 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
In 2023, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru stood at 1.69 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 48.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru peaked at 1.69 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.51 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
That places Peru 94th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.51 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.605 per 1,000 people | +18.6% |
| 1970 | 0.521 per 1,000 people | -13.9% |
| 1975 | 0.526 per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 0.692 per 1,000 people | +31.6% |
| 1980 | 0.716 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 0.76 per 1,000 people | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 0.846 per 1,000 people | +11.3% |
| 1983 | 0.902 per 1,000 people | +6.6% |
| 1984 | 0.908 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 0.929 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 0.984 per 1,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 0.983 per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 0.965 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 1.03 per 1,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1990 | 1.06 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 1.03 per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 0.98 per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 0.932 per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 1.14 per 1,000 people | +22.1% |
| 2007 | 1.65 per 1,000 people | +45.3% |
| 2009 | 0.944 per 1,000 people | -42.9% |
| 2012 | 1.14 per 1,000 people | +20.7% |
| 2016 | 1.31 per 1,000 people | +14.7% |
| 2018 | 1.37 per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 1.35 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 1.44 per 1,000 people | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 1.67 per 1,000 people | +16.5% |
| 2022 | 1.65 per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 1.69 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
Peru compared with similar countries
- Peru's 1.69 per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 91% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Peru's 1.69 per 1,000 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9 per 1,000 people, 89% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | -42.9% | 1.65 per 1,000 people | 0.944 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5575 per 1,000 people | 0.51 per 1,000 people | 0.605 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.5797 per 1,000 people | 0.521 per 1,000 people | 0.692 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.9028 per 1,000 people | 0.716 per 1,000 people | 1.03 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.03 per 1,000 people | 0.932 per 1,000 people | 1.14 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.3 per 1,000 people | 0.944 per 1,000 people | 1.65 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.29 per 1,000 people | 1.14 per 1,000 people | 1.37 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 2020s | 1.61 per 1,000 people | 1.44 per 1,000 people | 1.69 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Peru
More health data for Peru
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.88 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5045 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,235 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 782 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3081 % 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 0.038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.302 % 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 Peru?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Peru was 1.69 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 Peru?
- The highest recorded value was 1.69 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Peru?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.51 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Peru rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Peru ranks 94th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Peru?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Peru 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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