Namibia: Physicians (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 2.47% from 0.57 in 2017 (0.5% a year on average, compounded). Since 1991 it is up 139.39% from 0.23 in 1991 (2.86% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 21 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

How it compares

In 2022, Namibia had the 49th highest value of the 77 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 Namibia in the 2022 ranking

• Iraq — 47th of 77: 1.02
• South Africa — 48th of 77: 0.79
• Bhutan — 49th of 77: 0.55
• Gabon — 51st of 77: 0.52
• São Tomé and Principe — 52nd of 77: 0.46
• Comoros — 53rd of 77: 0.42

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 11 values

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Angola — 0.24 (2022)
• Benin — 0.22 (2023)
• Botswana — 0.38 (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 0.15 (2022)
• Burundi — 0.08 (2022)
• Cabo Verde — 0.73 (2023)
• Cameroon — 0.14 (2022)
• Central African Republic — 0.07 (2023)
• Chad — 0.09 (2023)
• Comoros — 0.42 (2022)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 0.21 (2022)

More health data for Namibia

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 12.58% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 13.23% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 568,676 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 35.94% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 564,861 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 37.4% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 1.13 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 36.65% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 12.45% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

0.55 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 139.39% from 0.23 in 1991 (2.86% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.57 in 2017 and the lowest 0.23 in 1991.

How does Namibia rank?

49th highest of 77 economies with data for 2022.

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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