Cuba has the highest reported physician density in this 50-country comparison, with 9.54 doctors per 1,000 people, according to World Bank data.
Monaco ranks second with 8.61 doctors per 1,000 residents, followed by Seychelles (6.60), Greece (6.58) and Portugal (5.85).
The figures reveal significant differences in the number of medical doctors relative to population size. However, having more doctors per person does not automatically translate into better healthcare access or outcomes.
The rankings use the latest available observations in the compiled World Bank dataset, drawing on statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), OECD and national sources. Reporting years vary by country, so the figures should not be treated as a single-year global comparison.
Countries with the highest reported numbers of doctors per 1,000 people. Source: World Bank, WHO and OECD. Reporting years vary. Visualization: The Data Visual.
Doctors per 1,000 People: Country Rankings
Cuba leads with 9.54 physicians per 1,000 people, equivalent to approximately 954 doctors for every 100,000 residents.
Monaco follows at 8.61, while Seychelles (6.60), Greece (6.58) and Portugal (5.85) complete the top five.
Georgia, Austria, Russia, Argentina and Andorra make up the remaining top ten.
The searchable ranking below compares 50 countries using their latest available reported physician-density figures in the compiled dataset.
Each entry includes the number of doctors per 1,000 people and the year of the observation, allowing readers to identify differences in data recency.
Note: Figures are expressed as doctors per 1,000 people and rounded to two decimal places. Reporting years and physician-counting methods vary across countries. The table presents the leading 50 countries in this compilation, not every country worldwide.
Key Findings From the Rankings
Cuba Has the Highest Reported Doctor-to-Population Ratio
Cuba ranks first with 9.54 doctors per 1,000 people, based on its 2021 observation.
That is approximately one doctor for every 105 residents, although this is a population-wide ratio rather than a measure of individual access to medical care.
The figure puts Cuba ahead of Monaco, which records 8.61 physicians per 1,000 people in 2020.
Several Small Countries Rank Among the Leaders
Monaco, Seychelles and Andorra all appear in the top ten.
Because physician density is measured relative to population size, countries with smaller populations can rank highly without having large medical workforces in absolute numbers.
This is why doctors per capita and the total number of doctors represent two different ways of measuring a country's healthcare workforce.
European Countries Feature Prominently
Greece, Portugal, Austria and several other European countries appear near the top of the ranking.
However, differences in national reporting standards are important.
According to the OECD, Greece and Portugal include doctors licensed to practise, rather than only physicians actively providing patient care. Argentina uses a similar approach.
Consequently, these figures are not directly comparable with countries that count only practising doctors.
The United States Ranks 39th
The United States records 3.68 physicians per 1,000 people in 2022, placing it 39th in the compiled ranking.
That is below several European countries, including Germany, Switzerland and Spain.
Still, physician density alone cannot explain differences in healthcare systems. The distribution of doctors, medical specialties, affordability and availability of services also influence access to treatment.
What Does Doctors per 1,000 People Mean?
Doctors per 1,000 people, also known as physician density, measures the number of medical doctors relative to a country's population.
For example, a rate of five doctors per 1,000 people is equivalent to 500 doctors per 100,000 residents.
The indicator includes general practitioners and specialist medical doctors, such as surgeons, cardiologists and pediatricians. Nurses, dentists and pharmacists are measured separately.
Using a population-based measure makes it easier to compare countries of very different sizes.
However, the indicator does not show how medical professionals are distributed within a country or how easily residents can obtain treatment.
Why Reporting Years and Definitions Matter
Physician-density statistics are not updated simultaneously across countries.
For example, Cuba's figure comes from 2021, Monaco's from 2020 and North Korea's from 2017. Several other countries have observations from 2023.
Definitions also differ. Some countries count doctors currently treating patients, while others include professionally active or licensed physicians who may not provide direct patient care.
The OECD highlights this distinction for countries including Greece, Portugal and Argentina.
These differences can influence international rankings. A higher reported figure may partly reflect a broader counting method rather than a larger active medical workforce.
For this reason, the Data Year column is an essential part of the comparison.
Does Having More Doctors Mean Better Healthcare?
Not necessarily.
A higher physician-to-population ratio can indicate greater healthcare workforce capacity, but it does not guarantee timely or affordable medical treatment.
Doctors may be concentrated in major cities, leaving rural communities with fewer healthcare professionals.
Access also depends on hospitals, nurses, medical equipment, healthcare financing and the range of services available.
Physician density is therefore a useful measure of healthcare resources, but it should be considered alongside other indicators when evaluating healthcare systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the most doctors per 1,000 people?
Cuba ranks first in this compiled comparison, with 9.54 doctors per 1,000 people, based on its 2021 observation in the World Bank dataset.
Which European country has the highest reported doctor density?
Monaco leads the European countries in this ranking, with 8.61 physicians per 1,000 people in 2020. Greece follows with 6.58 in 2022.
How many doctors per 1,000 people does the United States have?
The United States records 3.68 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022, placing it 39th among the 50 countries included in this comparison.
What is the difference between doctors per capita and the total number of doctors?
Doctors per capita measures the number of physicians relative to population size. The total number of doctors measures the size of the medical workforce without adjusting for population.
A country can have a large number of doctors overall but a lower physician-density ratio than a much smaller country.
About the Data and Methodology
This analysis uses the World Bank's Physicians (per 1,000 people) indicator (SH.MED.PHYS.ZS), part of the World Development Indicators database.
The indicator draws on health workforce statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and national sources.
The ranking presents 50 countries with the highest reported physician-density figures in the compiled dataset.
Each country's most recent available observation was used for the comparison. The reporting years shown in this table range from 2017 to 2023.
Values are presented as medical doctors per 1,000 residents and rounded to two decimal places. Small differences may be hidden by rounding.
Because reporting years, definitions and data coverage vary, the ranking should not be interpreted as a comparison of active medical workforces at one specific point in time.
The figures measure physician density—not the total number of doctors, healthcare quality or access to treatment.
Data Sources
The Data Visual | Facts. Data. Visualized.
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