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Medical professionals like doctors and nurses are essential to public health around the world. They are a crucial part of preventative care and can also save lives in emergency situations. Specialized medical personnel can also treat more specific issues like cancer, mental illnesses, and heart disease.
The NYRequirements.com team looked at data provided by the World Bank to see which countries around the planet have the most physicians, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 people. Take a look to see which country came out on top!
Click here to download the printable PDF version of the chart.
Countries With the Most Medical Personnel per Capita
Based on the most recent data from the World Bank, these are the countries that have the most physicians per 1,000 residents:
- Cuba: 8.4
- Monaco: 7.5
- Georgia: 7.1
- Greece: 6.3
- San Marino: 6.1
- Portugal: 5.5
- Austria: 5.3
- Norway: 4.9
- Uruguay: 4.9
- Finland: 4.6
- Lithuania: 4.6
The country with the most doctors per capita is Cuba, with 8.4 doctors per 1,000 people. Cuba, which has a population of about 11 million, is known for producing well-trained doctors and often sends many of their doctors abroad to other countries. Monaco comes in at number two with 7.1 doctors per 1,000 residents. Monaco is a microstate on the French Riviera and is home to about 38,000 people.
These are the countries that have the most nurses and midwives per capita:
- Finland: 22.3
- Monaco: 20.2
- Norway: 18.3
- Switzerland: 18.3
- Iceland: 17.2
- United States: 15.7
- Germany: 14.2
- Australia: 13.1
- Ireland: 13.0
- Luxembourg: 12.2
The country with the most nurses and midwives in the world is Finland. Finland has a population of about 5.5 million people and has 22.3 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people. Monaco ranks second with 20.2 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people. Monaco ranks second for both most physicians and most nurses/midwives per 1,000 people.
About Medical Personnel Around the World
How Many Doctors Are in the U.S.?
As of May 2022, there were about 1,073,000 physicians practicing in the United States. California has the most doctors in the U.S., at around 117,000. Some physicians practice general family medicine, while others have specialties, like dermatologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, and pediatricians.
How Many Doctors Are in the World?
There are about 9.2 million doctors around the world. The United States has 8% of the world’s doctors, despite only having 4% of the world’s population.
How Many Nurses Are in the World?
There are approximately 27.9 million nurses and midwives around the world, which makes their profession the largest percentage of the health-care workforce.
Who Can Prescribe Controlled Substances?
In the United States, controlled substances can only be prescribed by licensed health-care providers. The Controlled Substances Act of 1971 categorized controlled substances into five different groups:
- Schedule I: These are substances that have no commonly accepted medical purpose. Substances in this category include heroin and peyote.
- Schedule II: These substances have a significant potential for abuse and may lead to severe dependence. Substances in this group include methadone, oxycodone, and morphine.
- Schedule III: These substances have less of a chance of abuse than Schedule II substances and include buprenorphine and products containing 90 milligrams or less of codeine per dosage unit.
- Schedule IV: These have a low potential for abuse. Some of the substances included in this category are alprazolam, clonazepam, and diazepam.
- Schedule V: Substances in this category have a lower potential for abuse than Schedule IV substances. They include cough medicine with no more than 200 milligrams of codeine per 100 milliliters.
Only certain health practitioners are able to prescribe controlled substances due to their addictive nature. In New York, eligible health practitioners can complete an online educational course on prescribing controlled substances.
Total Physicians, Nurses, and Midwives per 1,000 People
| Rank | Country | Physicians per 1,000 People | Nurses and Midwives per 1,000 People | Total Medical Personnel per 1,000 People |
|
1 |
Monaco |
7.5 |
20.2 |
27.7 |
|
2 |
Finland |
4.6 |
22.3 |
26.9 |
|
3 |
Norway |
4.9 |
18.3 |
23.2 |
|
4 |
Switzerland |
4.3 |
18.3 |
22.6 |
|
5 |
Iceland |
4.1 |
17.2 |
21.3 |
|
6 |
Germany |
4.4 |
14.2 |
18.6 |
|
7 |
United States |
2.6 |
15.7 |
18.3 |
|
8 |
Australia |
3.9 |
13.1 |
17.0 |
|
9 |
Ireland |
3.4 |
13.0 |
16.4 |
|
10 |
Sweden |
4.4 |
11.9 |
16.3 |
|
11 |
Cuba |
8.4 |
7.6 |
16.0 |
|
12 |
Belarus |
4.5 |
11.0 |
15.5 |
|
13 |
Luxembourg |
3.0 |
12.2 |
15.2 |
|
14 |
France |
3.3 |
11.8 |
15.1 |
|
15 |
Netherlands |
3.8 |
11.1 |
14.9 |
|
16 |
Belgium |
3.1 |
11.7 |
14.8 |
|
17 |
Denmark |
4.2 |
10.5 |
14.7 |
|
17 |
New Zealand |
3.5 |
11.2 |
14.7 |
|
19 |
Japan |
2.5 |
11.9 |
14.4 |
|
20 |
San Marino |
6.1 |
8.2 |
14.3 |
|
21 |
Canada |
2.4 |
11.4 |
13.8 |
|
21 |
Slovenia |
3.3 |
10.5 |
13.8 |
|
23 |
Uzbekistan |
2.4 |
11.3 |
13.7 |
|
24 |
Czechia |
4.1 |
8.9 |
13.0 |
|
25 |
Portugal |
5.5 |
7.4 |
12.9 |
|
26 |
Lithuania |
4.6 |
8.2 |
12.8 |
|
27 |
Russia |
4.2 |
8.5 |
12.7 |
|
28 |
Austria |
5.3 |
7.1 |
12.4 |
|
28 |
Malta |
2.9 |
9.5 |
12.4 |
|
30 |
Georgia |
7.1 |
5.2 |
12.3 |
|
31 |
Uruguay |
4.9 |
7.2 |
12.1 |
|
32 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
2.8 |
9.1 |
11.9 |
|
33 |
United Kingdom |
2.9 |
8.6 |
11.5 |
|
34 |
Kazakhstan |
4.0 |
7.3 |
11.3 |
|
35 |
South Korea |
2.5 |
8.2 |
10.7 |
|
36 |
Spain |
4.4 |
6.1 |
10.5 |
|
37 |
Hungary |
3.5 |
6.9 |
10.4 |
|
37 |
Italy |
4.0 |
6.4 |
10.4 |
|
37 |
Seychelles |
2.3 |
8.1 |
10.4 |
|
40 |
Estonia |
3.5 |
6.6 |
10.1 |
|
41 |
Greece |
6.3 |
3.7 |
10.0 |
|
42 |
Kuwait |
2.6 |
7.4 |
10.0 |
|
43 |
Brazil |
2.3 |
7.4 |
9.7 |
|
44 |
Croatia |
3.5 |
6.2 |
9.7 |
|
45 |
Qatar |
2.5 |
7.2 |
9.7 |
|
46 |
Slovakia |
3.6 |
6.1 |
9.7 |
|
47 |
Ukraine |
3.0 |
6.7 |
9.7 |
|
48 |
Azerbaijan |
3.2 |
6.4 |
9.6 |
|
49 |
Israel |
3.6 |
5.6 |
9.2 |
|
50 |
Romania |
3.0 |
6.1 |
9.1 |
|
51 |
Bulgaria |
4.2 |
4.8 |
9.0 |
|
52 |
Singapore |
2.5 |
6.2 |
8.7 |
|
53 |
Libya |
2.1 |
6.5 |
8.6 |
|
54 |
Saudi Arabia |
2.8 |
5.8 |
8.6 |
|
55 |
Serbia |
2.5 |
6.1 |
8.6 |
|
56 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
4.5 |
4.1 |
8.6 |
|
57 |
United Arab Emirates |
2.6 |
5.7 |
8.3 |
|
58 |
North Korea |
3.7 |
4.4 |
8.1 |
|
59 |
Latvia |
3.3 |
4.8 |
8.1 |
|
60 |
Mongolia |
3.9 |
4.2 |
8.1 |
|
61 |
Poland |
2.4 |
5.7 |
8.1 |
|
62 |
Montenegro |
2.7 |
5.3 |
8.0 |
|
63 |
Armenia |
2.9 |
5.0 |
7.9 |
|
64 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2.2 |
5.7 |
7.9 |
|
65 |
Kyrgyzstan |
2.2 |
5.6 |
7.8 |
|
66 |
Grenada |
1.4 |
6.3 |
7.7 |
|
67 |
Palau |
1.4 |
6.3 |
7.7 |
|
68 |
Brunei |
1.6 |
5.9 |
7.5 |
|
69 |
Chile |
2.7 |
4.8 |
7.5 |
|
70 |
Andorra |
3.3 |
4.0 |
7.3 |
|
71 |
Dominica |
1.1 |
6.1 |
7.2 |
|
72 |
Cyprus |
3.1 |
4.0 |
7.1 |
|
73 |
St. Kitts and Nevis |
2.8 |
4.2 |
7.0 |
|
74 |
Maldives |
2.1 |
4.8 |
6.9 |
|
75 |
Albania |
1.6 |
5.1 |
6.7 |
|
76 |
Argentina |
4.1 |
2.6 |
6.7 |
|
77 |
North Macedonia |
2.9 |
3.8 |
6.7 |
|
78 |
Turkmenistan |
2.2 |
4.4 |
6.6 |
|
79 |
Bahamas |
1.9 |
4.6 |
6.5 |
|
80 |
Mauritius |
2.6 |
3.9 |
6.5 |
|
81 |
Moldova |
2.6 |
3.9 |
6.5 |
|
82 |
Tajikistan |
1.7 |
4.8 |
6.5 |
|
83 |
Costa Rica |
2.9 |
3.4 |
6.3 |
|
84 |
Jordan |
2.7 |
3.3 |
6.0 |
|
85 |
Oman |
1.9 |
4.1 |
6.0 |
|
86 |
Philippines |
0.6 |
5.4 |
6.0 |
|
87 |
Botswana |
0.4 |
5.5 |
5.9 |
|
88 |
South Africa |
0.8 |
5.0 |
5.8 |
|
89 |
Barbados |
2.5 |
3.1 |
5.6 |
|
90 |
Malaysia |
2.1 |
3.5 |
5.6 |
|
91 |
China |
2.2 |
3.1 |
5.3 |
|
92 |
Mexico |
2.4 |
2.8 |
5.2 |
|
93 |
Tuvalu |
0.9 |
4.3 |
5.2 |
|
94 |
Fiji |
0.9 |
4.0 |
4.9 |
|
95 |
Turkey |
1.9 |
3.0 |
4.9 |
|
96 |
Panama |
1.6 |
3.2 |
4.8 |
|
97 |
Ecuador |
2.2 |
2.5 |
4.7 |
|
98 |
El Salvador |
2.9 |
1.8 |
4.7 |
|
99 |
Suriname |
0.8 |
3.9 |
4.7 |
|
100 |
Guyana |
1.8 |
2.7 |
4.5 |
|
101 |
Peru |
1.4 |
3.0 |
4.4 |
|
102 |
Eswatini |
0.2 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
|
103 |
Indonesia |
0.5 |
3.8 |
4.3 |
|
104 |
Nepal |
0.8 |
3.3 |
4.1 |
|
105 |
Thailand |
0.9 |
3.2 |
4.1 |
|
106 |
Lebanon |
2.2 |
1.7 |
3.9 |
|
107 |
Lesotho |
0.5 |
3.3 |
3.8 |
|
108 |
St. Lucia |
0.6 |
3.2 |
3.8 |
|
109 |
Tunisia |
1.3 |
2.5 |
3.8 |
|
110 |
Venezuela |
1.7 |
2.1 |
3.8 |
|
111 |
Colombia |
2.3 |
1.4 |
3.7 |
|
112 |
Iran |
1.6 |
2.1 |
3.7 |
|
113 |
Samoa |
0.3 |
3.4 |
3.7 |
|
114 |
Gabon |
0.6 |
2.9 |
3.5 |
|
115 |
Sri Lanka |
1.2 |
2.3 |
3.5 |
|
116 |
Bahrain |
0.9 |
2.5 |
3.4 |
|
117 |
Belize |
1.1 |
2.3 |
3.4 |
|
118 |
Nicaragua |
1.7 |
1.6 |
3.3 |
|
119 |
Algeria |
1.7 |
1.5 |
3.2 |
|
120 |
Dominican Republic |
1.5 |
1.5 |
3.0 |
|
121 |
Ghana |
0.1 |
2.7 |
2.8 |
|
122 |
Syria |
1.3 |
1.5 |
2.8 |
|
123 |
Iraq |
0.7 |
2.0 |
2.7 |
|
124 |
Bolivia |
1.0 |
1.6 |
2.6 |
|
125 |
Egypt |
0.7 |
1.9 |
2.6 |
|
126 |
Namibia |
0.6 |
2.0 |
2.6 |
|
127 |
Sao Tome and Principe |
0.5 |
2.1 |
2.6 |
|
128 |
Timor-Leste |
0.8 |
1.8 |
2.6 |
|
129 |
India |
0.7 |
1.7 |
2.4 |
|
130 |
Solomon Islands |
0.2 |
2.2 |
2.4 |
|
131 |
Bhutan |
0.5 |
1.8 |
2.3 |
|
132 |
Vietnam |
0.8 |
1.4 |
2.2 |
|
133 |
Cabo Verde |
0.8 |
1.3 |
2.1 |
|
134 |
Liberia |
0.1 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
|
135 |
Morocco |
0.7 |
1.4 |
2.1 |
|
136 |
Paraguay |
1.4 |
0.7 |
2.1 |
|
137 |
Zimbabwe |
0.2 |
1.9 |
2.1 |
|
138 |
Nigeria |
0.4 |
1.5 |
1.9 |
|
139 |
Comoros |
0.3 |
1.5 |
1.8 |
|
140 |
Myanmar |
0.7 |
1.1 |
1.8 |
|
141 |
Guatemala |
0.4 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
|
142 |
Laos |
0.4 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
|
143 |
Pakistan |
1.1 |
0.5 |
1.6 |
|
144 |
Uganda |
0.4 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
|
145 |
Vanuatu |
0.2 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
|
146 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
0.4 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
|
147 |
Eritrea |
0.1 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
|
148 |
Jamaica |
0.5 |
0.9 |
1.4 |
|
149 |
Kenya |
0.2 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
|
150 |
Sudan |
0.3 |
1.1 |
1.4 |
|
151 |
Yemen |
0.5 |
0.8 |
1.3 |
|
152 |
Cambodia |
0.2 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
|
153 |
Republic of the Congo |
0.1 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
|
154 |
Mauritania |
0.2 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
|
155 |
Zambia |
0.1 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
|
156 |
Bangladesh |
0.6 |
0.4 |
1.0 |
|
157 |
Burkina Faso |
0.1 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
|
158 |
Honduras |
0.3 |
0.7 |
1.0 |
|
159 |
Rwanda |
0.1 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
|
160 |
Cote d'Ivoire |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
161 |
Djibouti |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
162 |
Guinea-Bissau |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
|
163 |
Sierra Leone |
0.1 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
|
164 |
Burundi |
0.1 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
|
165 |
Ethiopia |
0.1 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
|
166 |
Guinea |
0.2 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
|
167 |
Equatorial Guinea |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
|
168 |
Gambia |
0.1 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
|
169 |
Tanzania |
0.1 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
|
170 |
Afghanistan |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
|
171 |
Angola |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
|
172 |
Haiti |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
|
173 |
Malawi |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
|
174 |
Mozambique |
0.1 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
175 |
Papua New Guinea |
0.1 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
176 |
Senegal |
0.1 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
177 |
Togo |
0.1 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
178 |
Cameroon |
0.1 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
|
179 |
Madagascar |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
|
180 |
Mali |
0.1 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
|
181 |
Benin |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
|
182 |
Central African Republic |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
|
183 |
South Sudan |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
184 |
Chad |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
|
185 |
Niger |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
|
186 |
Somalia |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
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