El Salvador: Physicians (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 45.46% from 2.96 in 2018 (11.42% a year on average, compounded). Since 1960 it is up 764.17% from 0.19 in 1960 (3.48% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 44 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

How it compares

In 2023, El Salvador had the 31st highest value of the 58 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to El Salvador in the 2023 ranking

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 28th of 58: 1.81
• Palau — 29th of 58: 1.81
• Peru — 30th of 58: 1.69
• Kyrgyz Republic — 32nd of 58: 1.57
• Suriname — 33rd of 58: 1.36
• Sri Lanka — 34th of 58: 1.14

What this measures

Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.

Limitations: The WHO compiles data from household and labor force surveys, censuses, and administrative records. Data comparability is limited by differences in definitions and training of medical personnel varies. In addition, human resources tend to be concentrated in urban areas, so that average densities do not provide a full picture of health personnel available to the entire population.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 20 values

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 2.92 (2017)
• Argentina — 5.11 (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 1.9 (2017)
• Barbados — 2.96 (2022)
• Belize — 1.09 (2018)
• Bolivia — 1.28 (2021)
• Brazil — 2.36 (2023)
• Chile — 3.33 (2023)
• Colombia — 2.54 (2023)
• Costa Rica — 2.69 (2022)
• Cuba — 9.54 (2021)
• Dominica

More health data for El Salvador

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 7.13% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 8.25% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 755,631 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 22.61% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 796,552 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 26.34% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 1.55 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 24.38% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 7.42% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is El Salvador's physicians (per 1,000 people)?

1.62 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 764.17% from 0.19 in 1960 (3.48% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2.96 in 2018 and the lowest 0.19 in 1960.

How does El Salvador rank?

31st highest of 58 economies with data for 2023.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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