Number of doctors Myanmar 2011-2021

In 2021, the number of doctors in Myanmar amounted to approximately 11.25 thousand, which was a decrease from the previous year. In 2018, there were around 17.9 thousand doctors appointed in Myanmar. 

Healthcare reforms and effects

For the production of qualified medical doctors, the 9th Medical Education Seminar reduced intakes in the major medical schools to almost half in 2012 and the years to follow. The reforms included extensions of periods of study for medical students. To support the imminent flux of graduated doctors, Myanmar also substantiated an increase in the number of government hospitals. In 2018, students in the medical field accounted for a major chunk of enrolled students with medicine being one of the favored study majors among graduates. The number of doctors in Myanmar has been on an up and down since 2011, while the number of nurses experienced a gradual decline.

The Urban and Rural Divide

Private hospitals mainly operate in major cities of Myanmar, but they also provide services to rural areas along with the public hospitals. Even though the number of doctors per 100,000 of the population is on par with the Southeast Asian average, the increase in workforce is not apparent in rural areas due to the remoteness of location and insufficient resources. An example of this is the comparison between the Yangon region and the Kayah state. The Yangon region is one of the major urban areas and has accounted for the highest number of healthcare professionals. Whereas, the Kayah State is a predominantly rural state and has registered the lowest number of healthcare professionals.