Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Medical doctors per 1,000 people was 0.136 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.136 per 1,000 people
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
178th
of 194 countries
All-time high
0.202 per 1,000 people
in 1960
All-time low
0.0544 per 1,000 people
in 2007
Years of data
29
1960–2023
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe, 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
The most recent figure for medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe is 0.136 per 1,000 people, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and up 70.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe peaked at 0.202 per 1,000 people in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.0544 per 1,000 people, in 2007.
Zimbabwe ranks 178th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.202 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.125 per 1,000 people | -38.1% |
| 1970 | 0.162 per 1,000 people | +29.6% |
| 1975 | 0.158 per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 0.161 per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 0.139 per 1,000 people | -13.7% |
| 1987 | 0.135 per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.13 per 1,000 people | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 0.149 per 1,000 people | +14.6% |
| 2000 | 0.126 per 1,000 people | -15.4% |
| 2004 | 0.169 per 1,000 people | +34.1% |
| 2005 | 0.121 per 1,000 people | -28.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0544 per 1,000 people | -55.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0596 per 1,000 people | +9.6% |
| 2009 | 0.115 per 1,000 people | +93.0% |
| 2010 | 0.121 per 1,000 people | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 0.078 per 1,000 people | -35.5% |
| 2012 | 0.077 per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.08 per 1,000 people | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 0.119 per 1,000 people | +48.7% |
| 2015 | 0.174 per 1,000 people | +46.2% |
| 2016 | 0.172 per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 0.179 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 0.201 per 1,000 people | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 0.123 per 1,000 people | -38.8% |
| 2020 | 0.128 per 1,000 people | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 0.136 per 1,000 people | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 0.127 per 1,000 people | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 0.136 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 0.136 per 1,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3555 per 1,000 people, 38% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 0.136 per 1,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.188 per 1,000 people, 72% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe 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 | +93.0% | 0.0596 per 1,000 people | 0.115 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1635 per 1,000 people | 0.125 per 1,000 people | 0.202 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.16 per 1,000 people | 0.158 per 1,000 people | 0.162 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.145 per 1,000 people | 0.135 per 1,000 people | 0.161 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.1395 per 1,000 people | 0.13 per 1,000 people | 0.149 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.1075 per 1,000 people | 0.0544 per 1,000 people | 0.169 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 2010s | 0.1324 per 1,000 people | 0.077 per 1,000 people | 0.201 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1318 per 1,000 people | 0.127 per 1,000 people | 0.136 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 175 Equatorial Guinea 0.153 per 1,000 people compare
- 176 Burkina Faso 0.148 per 1,000 people compare
- 177 Ethiopia 0.143 per 1,000 people compare
- 178 Cameroon 0.136 per 1,000 people compare
- 180 Sierra Leone 0.134 per 1,000 people compare
- 180 Tanzania 0.134 per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 874.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,457 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % 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 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe was 0.136 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 0.202 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0544 per 1,000 people in 2007.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people?
- Zimbabwe ranks 178th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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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