Trend in number of physicians employed per 100,000 in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the EU-27, 1996-2005 (source: WHO-HFA, 2007)
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Austria
277
289
302
303
312
327
330
338
345
354
Belgium
381
386
395
407
414
419
448
443
-
-
Bulgaria
354
345
345
344
337
344
352
360
352
365
Cyprus
249
251
254
257
259
262
263
261
267
237
Czech Republic
298
311
303
308
337
345
350
352
348
355
Denmark
315
315
320
325
327
332
339
343
357
-
Estonia
315
324
305
311
310
304
315
317
321
-
EU-15
304
306
311
318
322
327
331
333
336
-
EU-27
294
296
299
305
308
313
317
318
321
318
Finland
285
296
300
306
307
311
316
319
-
-
France
323
324
326
330
329
331
333
335
338
340
Germany
311
313
318
321
326
331
334
337
339
340
Greece
388
399
413
424
433
438
458
475
488
-
Hungary
299
303
308
310
-
-
319
325
334
278
Iceland
312
326
332
338
344
347
358
362
361
374
Ireland
210
213
219
226
223
238
241
258
276
283
Italy
410
401
411
423
416
437
443
411
415
386
Latvia
299
296
306
318
320
291
299
298
311
316
Lithuania
410
413
412
414
401
403
399
396
390
400
Luxembourg
231
239
244
249
249
254
259
268
276
-
Malta
-
247
261
263
265
-
267
315
324
349
Netherlands
259
-
294
310
319
328
338
348
360
371
Norway
305
308
317
329
292
290
330
338
348
368
Poland
235
236
233
226
220
224
230
229
224
-
Portugal
297
302
307
312
318
323
326
329
335
344
Romania
181
179
184
191
189
189
191
196
198
195
Slovakia
-
-
305
322
323
326
322
319
313
-
Slovenia
213
214
217
214
217
219
224
226
231
-
Spain
283
288
282
296
316
308
291
322
-
-
Sweden
288
290
297
301
307
284
316
318
325
-
Switzerland
321
326
333
336
351
351
356
372
375
390
United Kingdom
183
189
193
196
200
205
213
-
-
-
- : no data available
Remarks
A physician is a person who has completed studies in medicine at university level. To be legally licensed for the independent practice of medicine (comprising prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation), (s)he must in most cases undergo additional postgraduate training in a hospital (from 6 months to 1 year or more).
To establish his or her own practice, a physician must fulfill additional conditions. The number of physicians at the end of the year includes all active physicians working in health services (public or private), including health services under other ministries than the Ministry of Health. Interns and residents, i.e. physicians in postgraduate training, are also included. The number of physicians excludes: physicians working outside the country; physicians on the retired list and not practicing or unemployed; physicians working outside health services, e.g. employed in industry, research institutes etc.; dentists (stomatologists) who should be defined as a separate group. National practices in using full-time equivalent and/or physical persons differ, therefore the possibility to provide data in both versions is provided.
Alternative formulation of definition harmonized with EUROSTAT and OECD in 2006:
Physicians (medical doctors) as defined by ISCO 88 (code 2221) apply preventive and curative measures, improve or develop concepts, theories and operational methods and conduct research in the area of medicine and health care. Practicing physicians provide services directly to patients. Practicing physicians' tasks include: conducting medical examination and making diagnosis, prescribing medication and giving treatment for diagnosed illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving specialized medical or surgical treatment for particular types of illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving advice on and applying preventive medicine methods and treatments.
Inclusion:
Persons who have completed studies in medicine at university level (granted by adequate diploma) and who are licensed to practice.
Interns and resident physicians (with adequate diploma and providing services under supervision of other medical doctors during their postgraduate internship in a health care facility).
Salaried and self-employed physicians delivering services irrespectively of the place of service provision.
Foreign physicians licensed to practice and actively practicing in the country
Exclusion:
Students who have not yet graduated.
Dentists and stomatologists / dental surgeons.
Physicians working in administration, research and in other posts that exclude direct contact with the patients.
Unemployed physicians and retired physicians.
Physicians working abroad.
Registration of physicians differs per country. For details see definition sections in the
Trend in number of physicians employed per 1000 in a number of countries, 1990-2004 (source: OECD Health Data, 2006)
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Austria
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Belgium
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.0
Czech Republic
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.9
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.0
3.1
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.5
Denmark
2.5
2.4
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.9
3.0
-
Finland d
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.2
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.4
France b
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.2
3.2
3.2
3.2
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
Germany
-
2.8
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.2
3.2
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
Greece d
3.4
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.8
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.9
Hungary
2.8
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.1
-
-
3.2
3.2
3.3
Iceland b
2.8
2.8
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.6
3.6
Ireland b
-
-
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.2
2.4
2.4
2.6
2.8
Italy
-
-
-
3.8
3.7
3.9
4.1
4.0
4.1
4.2
4.1
4.3
4.4
4.1
4.2
Luxembourg
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
Netherlands b,c,d
2.5
2.6
-
-
-
-
-
-
2.9
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
Norway a
-
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.5
2.7
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.4
3.4
3.5
Poland c
2.1
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.5
-
Portugal b,c,e
2.8
2.9
2.9
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.2
3.2
3.3
3.3
3.4
Slovakia b
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
3.1
Spain
-
-
-
-
-
2.5
2.8
2.9
2.8
2.9
3.2
3.1
2.9
3.2
3.4
Sweden
2.9
-
2.7
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.9
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.3
-
Switzerland b
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.1
3.2
3.2
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
United Kingdom
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.7
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
-: no data available a 1997-2001: full-time equivalents; 2002-2004: heads counted b Includes non-practicing physicians also. Without medical practice means the person may work in research and development (R&D) activities, administrative functions, or be unemployed. c Includes retired professionals d Includes professionals who are foreigners e Includes professionals who are working abroad
Remarks
The number of physicians employed (including self-employed) refers to persons who are actively practicing medicine in public and private institutions. The data should exclude dentists, stomatologists, qualified physicians who are working abroad, working in administration, research and industry positions. Data should include interns and residents, and foreign physicians licensed to practice and actively practicing medicine in the country.
Registration of physicians differs per country. For details see sources and methods of OECD Health Data.
7 February 2008
Physicians employed
Remarks
A physician is a person who has completed studies in medicine at university level. To be legally licensed for the independent practice of medicine (comprising prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation), (s)he must in most cases undergo additional postgraduate training in a hospital (from 6 months to 1 year or more).
To establish his or her own practice, a physician must fulfill additional conditions. The number of physicians at the end of the year includes all active physicians working in health services (public or private), including health services under other ministries than the Ministry of Health. Interns and residents, i.e. physicians in postgraduate training, are also included. The number of physicians excludes: physicians working outside the country; physicians on the retired list and not practicing or unemployed; physicians working outside health services, e.g. employed in industry, research institutes etc.; dentists (stomatologists) who should be defined as a separate group. National practices in using full-time equivalent and/or physical persons differ, therefore the possibility to provide data in both versions is provided.
Alternative formulation of definition harmonized with EUROSTAT and OECD in 2006:
Physicians (medical doctors) as defined by ISCO 88 (code 2221) apply preventive and curative measures, improve or develop concepts, theories and operational methods and conduct research in the area of medicine and health care. Practicing physicians provide services directly to patients. Practicing physicians' tasks include: conducting medical examination and making diagnosis, prescribing medication and giving treatment for diagnosed illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving specialized medical or surgical treatment for particular types of illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving advice on and applying preventive medicine methods and treatments.
Inclusion:
Persons who have completed studies in medicine at university level (granted by adequate diploma) and who are licensed to practice.
Interns and resident physicians (with adequate diploma and providing services under supervision of other medical doctors during their postgraduate internship in a health care facility).
Salaried and self-employed physicians delivering services irrespectively of the place of service provision.
Foreign physicians licensed to practice and actively practicing in the country
Exclusion:
Students who have not yet graduated.
Dentists and stomatologists / dental surgeons.
Physicians working in administration, research and in other posts that exclude direct contact with the patients.
Unemployed physicians and retired physicians.
Physicians working abroad.
Registration of physicians differs per country. For details see definition sections in the
The quality of the data is subject to the way, in which health care provision is organised in countries, and which information is available to and collected by the respective institutions.
Some countries are unable to cover all providers of care (the inclusion of private providers seems particularly difficult) or are only able to provide data for selective regions.
Literature and data sources
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