Medical doctors in Nigeria
In 2024, the number of medical doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in Nigeria was 4.1 doctors, up from 3.8 doctors in 2023. This gives Nigeria the 132nd-highest globally (out of 174 economies with available data).
Medical doctors
Number of medical doctors per 10,000 inhabitants
Nigeria
How Nigeria compares
About this indicator
Medical doctors measures the availability of physicians, expressed as the number of practitioners per 10,000 inhabitants. Serving as a key indicator of a health system’s capacity to provide care, this figure includes generalists and specialists, as well as other medical professionals. Depending on the national data source, the count may represent either "practising" physicians actively treating patients or all "registered" physicians.
As an important measure of healthcare accessibility, this concentration reflects the strength of a country’s medical infrastructure. A higher ratio generally indicates a more robust healthcare system, while lower densities may highlight challenges in meeting the medical needs of the population and potential pressures on the existing healthcare workforce.
As an important measure of healthcare accessibility, this concentration reflects the strength of a country’s medical infrastructure. A higher ratio generally indicates a more robust healthcare system, while lower densities may highlight challenges in meeting the medical needs of the population and potential pressures on the existing healthcare workforce.
Sources and updates
Data sources
The data for this indicator are drawn from the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory (GHO).
Last update
This indicator was last updated on Econorama on 18 June 2026 and reflects the latest data available from the underlying sources at that time.
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