Doctors became more numerous across the comparable-country sample
Across countries with data in both 2010 and 2024, the average increased by 101.18 practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants.
Doctors across Europe
How the supply of practising physicians has changed across Europe
This page tracks practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants across European countries from 2010 to 2024. The indicator counts physicians who provide services directly to patients and adjusts the total for population size, making country comparisons more meaningful.
Across the 26 countries with data available in both 2010 and 2024, the average increased from 331.70 to 432.88 practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants. The increase was widespread, although both the latest levels and the pace of change differed substantially between countries.
Explore the data
Key insights
Italy and Austria recorded the highest latest levels
Italy recorded 575.43 practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, followed by Austria at 563.51.
Long-term growth differed sharply between countries
Cyprus recorded the largest increase between 2010 and 2024, while Latvia recorded the smallest increase among comparable countries.
Key comparisons
Selected highlights from the doctors dataset, 2010–2024.
Extended analysis
1) The average number of practising physicians increased substantially
Across the 26 countries with values available in both 2010 and 2024, the average increased from 331.70 to 432.88 practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants. This represents an increase of 101.18 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants across the comparable-country sample.
Because the indicator is standardised by population size, it allows countries with very different populations to be compared more directly. It does not measure the total number of doctors and it does not by itself show how evenly physicians are distributed within each country.
2) Italy, Austria and Cyprus recorded the highest 2024 levels
In 2024, the highest values in the dataset were recorded in Italy (575.43), Austria (563.51), Cyprus (549.62), Norway (507.35) and Germany (475.40) practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants.
Higher values indicate a larger number of practising physicians relative to population size. They do not automatically imply better access to care because actual availability also depends on geography, working hours, medical specialities and the organisation of the health system.
3) Liechtenstein, Belgium and Latvia recorded the lowest 2024 levels
The lowest values in 2024 were recorded in Liechtenstein (331.27), Belgium (334.25), Latvia (340.19), Slovenia (356.91) and Estonia (357.86) practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants.
Greece, Portugal and Slovakia are not included in these comparisons because no data are available for them in the supplied dataset under the selected definition of practising physicians.
4) Cyprus recorded the largest increase between 2010 and 2024
Among countries with values available in both endpoint years, the largest increases were recorded in Cyprus (+260.39), Italy (+196.98), Poland (+167.50), Malta (+149.56) and Luxembourg (+131.91) practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants.
These figures compare the two endpoint years. They should not be read as evidence of a smooth increase throughout the whole period because several country series contain notable shifts or temporary fluctuations between individual years.
5) Latvia and Estonia recorded the smallest increases
The smallest increases between 2010 and 2024 were recorded in Latvia (+29.49), Estonia (+33.48), Liechtenstein (+42.55), Belgium (+42.91) and Finland (+59.34) practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants.
A smaller increase does not necessarily mean that physician availability is low. Countries started from different levels in 2010, and the indicator measures the number of practising physicians relative to population rather than changes in healthcare quality or medical need.
How to read this indicator
The indicator measures practising physicians per 100,000 inhabitants. Practising physicians are doctors who provide services directly to patients. This is narrower than professionally active physicians or all physicians licensed to practise.
Higher values mean that more practising physicians are available relative to the size of the population. The indicator does not show differences between medical specialities, regional distribution, working hours or the amount of care each physician provides.
The supplied dataset covers 2010–2024. Ireland has data from 2011 onwards and the Netherlands from 2014 onwards. Czechia has no observations for 2014–2017, although values are available for both 2010 and 2024. Greece, Portugal and Slovakia are not shown because no data are available in the supplied dataset. The time series shows each country for the years for which data are available. Comparisons based on the endpoints 2010 and 2024 include only countries with values in both years, so Ireland and the Netherlands are excluded from full-period rankings and averages.