Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. GDP per capita in Kenya
Kenya: Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. GDP per capita was 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. GDP per capita in Kenya, 1960–2023
Source: World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 0.289 per 1,000 people for medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
The figure is up 22.5% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita in Kenya peaked at 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.074 per 1,000 people, in 2020.
Kenya ranks 153rd of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. GDP per capita in Kenya, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.092 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1965 | 0.075 per 1,000 people | -18.5% |
| 1970 | 0.125 per 1,000 people | +66.7% |
| 1975 | 0.127 per 1,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 0.099 per 1,000 people | -22.0% |
| 1982 | 0.12 per 1,000 people | +21.2% |
| 1985 | 0.154 per 1,000 people | +28.3% |
| 1993 | 0.138 per 1,000 people | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 0.132 per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 0.138 per 1,000 people | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.169 per 1,000 people | +22.5% |
| 2009 | 0.171 per 1,000 people | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.171 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.177 per 1,000 people | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 0.184 per 1,000 people | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 0.193 per 1,000 people | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.199 per 1,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 0.16 per 1,000 people | -19.6% |
| 2020 | 0.074 per 1,000 people | -53.8% |
| 2021 | 0.098 per 1,000 people | +32.4% |
| 2022 | 0.236 per 1,000 people | +140.8% |
| 2023 | 0.289 per 1,000 people | +22.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0835 per 1,000 people | 0.075 per 1,000 people | 0.092 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.126 per 1,000 people | 0.125 per 1,000 people | 0.127 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.1243 per 1,000 people | 0.099 per 1,000 people | 0.154 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.135 per 1,000 people | 0.132 per 1,000 people | 0.138 per 1,000 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.1593 per 1,000 people | 0.138 per 1,000 people | 0.171 per 1,000 people | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.1807 per 1,000 people | 0.16 per 1,000 people | 0.199 per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 2020s | 0.1742 per 1,000 people | 0.074 per 1,000 people | 0.289 per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 150 Zambia 0.324 per 1,000 people compare
- 151 Afghanistan 0.317 per 1,000 people compare
- 152 Haiti 0.292 per 1,000 people compare
- 154 Ghana 0.266 per 1,000 people compare
- 155 Mauritania 0.261 per 1,000 people compare
- 156 Guinea-Bissau 0.252 per 1,000 people compare
More economy & growth data for Kenya
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 15,507 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 12.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.1627 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 384.5 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 7.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 21.04 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 49,717 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita in Kenya?
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita in Kenya was 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023, according to World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.289 per 1,000 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.074 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does Kenya rank for medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita?
- Kenya ranks 153rd out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Medical doctors per 1,000 people vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Medical doctors include generalist physicians and specialist medical practitioners. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.