Nigeria: Physicians (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Nigeria's physicians (per 1,000 people) fell 0.006 on 2022 (from 0.39 to 0.38).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2022), the average change was +0.01 and a typical year strayed about 0.02 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.06 in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.008 in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Nigeria had the 41st 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 Nigeria in the 2023 ranking

• Eswatini — 38th of 58: 0.56
• Indonesia — 39th of 58: 0.52
• Jamaica — 40th of 58: 0.46
• Botswana — 42nd of 58: 0.38
• Afghanistan — 43rd of 58: 0.32
• Kenya — 44th of 58: 0.29

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 25 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 Nigeria

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 14.4% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 14.42% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 47.42 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 40.41% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 48.82 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 40.62% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 96.25 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 40.52% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 13.33% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 2,135% from 0.02 in 1960 (5.06% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.43 in 2016 and the lowest 0.02 in 1960.

How does Nigeria rank?

41st highest of 58 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in physicians (per 1,000 people) unusual for Nigeria?

In 2023, Nigeria's physicians (per 1,000 people) fell 0.006 on 2022 (from 0.39 to 0.38). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2022), the average change was +0.01 and a typical year strayed about 0.02 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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