Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia
Zambia: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.324 per 1,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia, 1960–2022
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
In 2022, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia stood at 0.324 per 1,000 people. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 440.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia peaked at 0.324 per 1,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.054 per 1,000 people, in 2006.
That places Zambia 150th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.107 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.088 per 1,000 people | -17.8% |
| 1970 | 0.073 per 1,000 people | -17.0% |
| 1975 | 0.074 per 1,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 0.076 per 1,000 people | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 0.126 per 1,000 people | +65.8% |
| 1983 | 0.14 per 1,000 people | +11.1% |
| 1985 | 0.141 per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 0.092 per 1,000 people | -34.8% |
| 1995 | 0.069 per 1,000 people | -25.0% |
| 2004 | 0.132 per 1,000 people | +91.3% |
| 2005 | 0.055 per 1,000 people | -58.3% |
| 2006 | 0.054 per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 0.061 per 1,000 people | +13.0% |
| 2009 | 0.059 per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 0.06 per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 0.09 per 1,000 people | +50.0% |
| 2018 | 0.224 per 1,000 people | +148.9% |
| 2019 | 0.237 per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 0.253 per 1,000 people | +6.8% |
| 2021 | 0.295 per 1,000 people | +16.6% |
| 2022 | 0.324 per 1,000 people | +9.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.324 per 1,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.324 per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.188 per 1,000 people, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +148.9% | 0.09 per 1,000 people | 0.224 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0975 per 1,000 people | 0.088 per 1,000 people | 0.107 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.0735 per 1,000 people | 0.073 per 1,000 people | 0.074 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.1207 per 1,000 people | 0.076 per 1,000 people | 0.141 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.0805 per 1,000 people | 0.069 per 1,000 people | 0.092 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.0722 per 1,000 people | 0.054 per 1,000 people | 0.132 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.1527 per 1,000 people | 0.06 per 1,000 people | 0.237 per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 2020s | 0.2907 per 1,000 people | 0.253 per 1,000 people | 0.324 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zambia was 0.324 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.324 per 1,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.054 per 1,000 people in 2006.
- How does Zambia rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Zambia ranks 150th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 440.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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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