Countries With the Fastest Decline in Physicians per 1,000 (5-Year Change)
Change in Physicians per 1,000 over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Georgia fell the most: by 1.87, from 7.51 physicians per 1,000 people to 5.64 physicians per 1,000 people in the five years to 2023. El Salvador is second (−1.35), followed by Mauritius (−0.832). 30 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −0.09.
- #1
- Georgia · −1.87
- Median
- −0.09
- Coverage
- 30 countries
- Data year
- 2022
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (physicians per 1,000 people) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 7.51 | 5.64 | −1.87 |
| 2 | El Salvador | 2.96 | 1.62 | −1.35 |
| 3 | Mauritius | 2.27 | 1.44 | −0.832 |
| 4 | Kuwait | 2.65 | 2.27 | −0.374 |
| 5 | Uruguay | 5.01 | 4.67 | −0.336 |
| 6 | Bolivia | 1.57 | 1.28 | −0.285 |
| 7 | North Macedonia | 3.2 | 2.94 | −0.26 |
| 8 | Nicaragua | 0.91 | 0.682 | −0.228 |
| 9 | Kyrgyz Republic | 1.79 | 1.57 | −0.219 |
| 10 | Bahrain | 0.927 | 0.741 | −0.186 |
| 11 | Côte d'Ivoire | 0.351 | 0.166 | −0.185 |
| 12 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.325 | 0.153 | −0.172 |
| 13 | Gabon | 0.653 | 0.521 | −0.132 |
| 14 | Lao PDR | 0.44 | 0.331 | −0.109 |
| 15 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.763 | 0.671 | −0.092 |
| 16 | Lithuania | 4.56 | 4.47 | −0.089 |
| 17 | Jamaica | 0.548 | 0.46 | −0.088 |
| 18 | Zimbabwe | 0.201 | 0.136 | −0.065 |
| 19 | Tajikistan | 1.93 | 1.87 | −0.064 |
| 20 | Argentina | 5.17 | 5.11 | −0.061 |
| 21 | Rwanda | 0.135 | 0.09 | −0.045 |
| 22 | Turkmenistan | 1.97 | 1.93 | −0.041 |
| 23 | Gambia, The | 0.124 | 0.09 | −0.034 |
| 24 | Montenegro | 2.81 | 2.78 | −0.026 |
| 25 | Botswana | 0.402 | 0.379 | −0.023 |
| 26 | Oman | 2.01 | 1.99 | −0.021 |
| 27 | Burundi | 0.094 | 0.078 | −0.016 |
| 28 | Namibia | 0.567 | 0.553 | −0.014 |
| 29 | Azerbaijan | 3.2 | 3.19 | −0.012 |
| 30 | Papua New Guinea | 0.064 | 0.061 | −0.003 |
About the top 10
#1 Georgia
Georgia ranks #1 on this list with −1.87.
- Capital
- Tbilisi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.94 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$38.14 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,692 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 61.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Tbilisi.
Also ranks #2 in alcohol consumption per capita · #6 in physicians per 1,000 · #10 in female population share.
#2 El Salvador
El Salvador ranks #2 on this list with −1.35.
- Capital
- San Salvador
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 6.37 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$36.71 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,767 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 75.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in debt service share of exports · #6 in government debt share of gdp · #14 in mobile subscriptions per 100.
#3 Mauritius
Mauritius ranks #3 on this list with −0.832.
- Capital
- Port Louis
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.24 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,991 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 39% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in cereal yield · #11 in low-birthweight babies share · #15 in population density.
#4 Kuwait
Kuwait ranks #4 on this list with −0.374.
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 4.87 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$157.21 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$32,312 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 84.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kuwait City.
Also ranks #1 in fertiliser consumption · #2 in access to sanitation · #3 in population ages 15-64 share.
#5 Uruguay
Uruguay ranks #5 on this list with −0.336.
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 3.38 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$85.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$25,216 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 95.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Montevideo.
Also ranks #1 in atms per 100,000 adults · #3 in agricultural land share · #5 in suicide mortality rate.
#6 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #6 on this list with −0.285.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
#7 North Macedonia
North Macedonia ranks #7 on this list with −0.26.
- Capital
- Skopje
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$19.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,490 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 62.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in smoking prevalence · #19 in gross capital formation rate · #22 in youth unemployment rate.
#8 Nicaragua
Nicaragua ranks #8 on this list with −0.228.
- Capital
- Managua
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 7.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,173 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 75.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in women in parliament share · #3 in women in ministerial positions share · #28 in homicide rate.
#9 Kyrgyz Republic
Kyrgyz Republic ranks #9 on this list with −0.219.
- Capital
- Bishkek
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 7.34 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.62 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,081 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bishkek.
Also ranks #5 in gdp growth rate · #8 in income share of poorest 10% · #10 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#10 Bahrain
Bahrain ranks #10 on this list with −0.186.
- Capital
- Manama
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 1.6 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$48.97 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$30,597 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in urban population share · #1 in immunisation (measles) rate · #2 in internet users share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Physicians per 1,000 over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Physicians (per 1,000 people): Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data.
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.