Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand
Thailand: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.541 per 1,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand, 1960–2021
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
The most recent figure for medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand is 0.541 per 1,000 people, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand peaked at 0.788 per 1,000 people in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.121 per 1,000 people, in 1970.
That places Thailand 139th out of 194 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.129 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.14 per 1,000 people | +8.5% |
| 1970 | 0.121 per 1,000 people | -13.6% |
| 1980 | 0.147 per 1,000 people | +21.5% |
| 1984 | 0.16 per 1,000 people | +8.8% |
| 1986 | 0.182 per 1,000 people | +13.7% |
| 1988 | 0.21 per 1,000 people | +15.4% |
| 1990 | 0.225 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 0.23 per 1,000 people | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.238 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 0.24 per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 0.273 per 1,000 people | +13.8% |
| 1998 | 0.292 per 1,000 people | +7.0% |
| 1999 | 0.291 per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 0.298 per 1,000 people | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 0.295 per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.289 per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 0.284 per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 0.292 per 1,000 people | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.311 per 1,000 people | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 0.333 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 2010 | 0.383 per 1,000 people | +15.0% |
| 2015 | 0.453 per 1,000 people | +18.3% |
| 2016 | 0.433 per 1,000 people | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 0.788 per 1,000 people | +82.0% |
| 2018 | 0.518 per 1,000 people | -34.3% |
| 2019 | 0.548 per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 0.509 per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 0.541 per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 0.541 per 1,000 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.84 per 1,000 people, 29% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 0.541 per 1,000 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.06 per 1,000 people, 51% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +82.0% | 0.433 per 1,000 people | 0.788 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1345 per 1,000 people | 0.129 per 1,000 people | 0.14 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.121 per 1,000 people | 0.121 per 1,000 people | 0.121 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.1747 per 1,000 people | 0.147 per 1,000 people | 0.21 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.2556 per 1,000 people | 0.225 per 1,000 people | 0.292 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 0.3003 per 1,000 people | 0.284 per 1,000 people | 0.333 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.5205 per 1,000 people | 0.383 per 1,000 people | 0.788 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 2020s | 0.525 per 1,000 people | 0.509 per 1,000 people | 0.541 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More health data for Thailand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.6 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0316 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,582 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 677 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.01 % 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 0.0201 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.97 % 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 Thailand?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Thailand was 0.541 per 1,000 people in 2021, 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 Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.788 per 1,000 people in 2017.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.121 per 1,000 people in 1970.
- How does Thailand rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Thailand ranks 139th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand 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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