Doctors per Capita in Japan (2020)

According to the World Bank (derived from OECD/WHO data), Japan had 238 people per physician in 2020.

Trend

• 1960: 1,110 people per doctor
• 1980: 560
• 2000: 350
• 2010: 270
• 2020: 238

Steady improvement: medical school expansion (1970s–90s), universal health insurance (1961), aging population driving demand.

International Comparison (2020)

Nuances

• Distribution uneven: Tokyo ~200, rural prefectures >400.
• Specialty shortages: OB/GYN, pediatrics, emergency, psychiatry.
• Doctors per 1,000: Japan 2.5 (OECD avg 3.6).
• High consultation rate (~12/year) compensates for lower doctor density.

Policy Response

• Regional quotas for medical school admissions.
• Loan forgiveness for rural service.
• Task-shifting to nurses/pharmacists.
• Telemedicine expansion (post-COVID).