Ranked: Countries with the Highest and Lowest Doctors Per Capita, 2024

Having a significant number of doctors in a country is undoubtedly crucial. It indicates that healthcare services are available whenever a patient needs them. The primary roles of physicians are to diagnose and treat patients with various illnesses. These medical professionals are essential in preventing injuries and impairments in the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the human body that people encounter daily. Additionally, doctors are responsible for planning, supervising, and evaluating care and treatment plans provided by nurses, healthcare assistants, and other medical team members.

With the important role of doctors worldwide, CEOWORLD magazine’s latest report tackles the statistics of doctors per capita, particularly in the top countries where these numbers are the highest. Readers will understand the significance of physician access. They’ll also learn about the number of other healthcare professionals per capita. CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers explain the meaning of these statistics.

Which countries have the greatest number of physicians per capita?

The medical field is a time-honored and global profession. Doctors are present in all countries, yet their populations vary. In the data below, gathered from 2013 to 2023, Cuba tops the chart, having the most significant number of physicians, with 84.3 doctors per 1,000 people. Second is Monaco, with 77.6 medical doctors. The figures of these two countries indicate that patients won’t find it difficult to access these medical professionals’ services when needed.

Which countries have the lowest number of doctors per capita?

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers discovered that the countries with the lowest number of medical doctors per capita are based in Africa. Many factors explain these low numbers of physicians per capita in Africa. Government support for physician training is important, yet this factor is a common problem in these countries. Another factor is migration, in which better salaries and employment conditions in developed countries like the United States and Canada pull these doctors out of these African countries.

Statistics on Nurses, Midwives, Dentists, and Pharmacists Per Capita

While doctors are important in helping patients recuperate from their sickness and injuries, other healthcare professionals are equally significant. They are nurses, midwives, dentists, and pharmacists. Nurses collaborate with a team of other medical professionals like doctors and other healthcare specialists in hospitals and other environments. They administer doctors’ prescribed treatments and medications to patients.

Nurses also provide wound care and monitor vital signs like heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure among many others. Meanwhile, midwives are healthcare professionals specializing in offering care to expectant mothers. They assist the latter during the baby’s delivery and the postpartum stage. Based on the research conducted by CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers, the countries with the highest number of nurses and midwives include Finland (223.2 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people), Sweden (215.9), and Monaco (208.3).

Dentists play a vital role in aiding patients in keeping sound oral wellness and preventing health problems from happening. These healthcare professionals prevent, diagnose, and treat oral health conditions like gum disease, cavities, and oral cancer. Additionally, dentists perform dental procedures like root canals, teeth extractions, and fillings. European countries have the highest number of dentists per capita, with Poland at the top of the list with 10.1 dentists per capita. Italy follows it with 8.6 and Germany with 8.5 dentists per capita.

Finally, medications’ administration and usage is the specialty of a pharmacist. This healthcare professional dispenses prescribed drugs to patients upon a doctor’s order and ensures that patients get the right dosage of life-saving medicines. Moreover, pharmacists are experts on how medicines work and interact with the human body, enabling patients to achieve optimal outcomes. Japan is the country with the highest number of pharmacists per capita, with a rating of 20. Spain follows it with a rating of 13.2 pharmacists per capita.

Countries with the Highest and Lowest Doctors Per Capita, 2024

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers found that migration to industrialized countries has also resulted in a “brain drain,” with the doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, and pharmacists from poor countries enticed by better employment opportunities in developed countries. Government and non-governmental organizations must band together to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in developing countries. In this manner, the latter’s young, middle-aged, and aging people will also benefit from advanced and state-of-the-art healthcare services which they also deserve to achieve long, healthy, and meaningful lives, and not just those from developed countries.

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