Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain
Spain: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 4.29 per 1,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain, 1990–2022
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
Spain recorded 4.29 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people in 2022.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain peaked at 4.55 per 1,000 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.04 per 1,000 people, in 1990.
Spain ranks 24th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.04 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1991 | 4.13 per 1,000 people | +103.0% |
| 1992 | 4.13 per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 4.17 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 4.22 per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 4.28 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 2.72 per 1,000 people | -36.4% |
| 1997 | 2.84 per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 2.9 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 3.02 per 1,000 people | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 3.1 per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 3.11 per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.1 per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 3.2 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 3.42 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 3.52 per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 3.6 per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.54 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 3.52 per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 3.58 per 1,000 people | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 3.74 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 3.81 per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 3.8 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 3.79 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 3.78 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.83 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 3.8 per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 3.85 per 1,000 people | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 4 per 1,000 people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 4.38 per 1,000 people | +9.5% |
| 2020 | 4.55 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 4.46 per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 4.29 per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 4.29 per 1,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.59 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Spain's 4.29 per 1,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.73 per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +103.0% | 2.04 per 1,000 people | 4.13 per 1,000 people |
| 1996 | -36.4% | 4.28 per 1,000 people | 2.72 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.45 per 1,000 people | 2.04 per 1,000 people | 4.28 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.37 per 1,000 people | 3.1 per 1,000 people | 3.6 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.88 per 1,000 people | 3.74 per 1,000 people | 4.38 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.43 per 1,000 people | 4.29 per 1,000 people | 4.55 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More health data for Spain
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.82 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2629 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,290 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 108 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.0396 % 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 0.0173 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.0227 % 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 Spain?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Spain was 4.29 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 4.55 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.04 per 1,000 people in 1990.
- How does Spain rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Spain ranks 24th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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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