Number of physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in Japan 2002-2022
As of the end of 2020, there were around 269 practicing physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in Japan, up from approximately 259 in 2018. The total number of physicians engaging in medical care amounted to roughly 339.6 thousand in 2020. Despite keeping the highest numbers and density of hospitals worldwide, Japan is not included in the list of leading countries when it comes to the count and density of physicians. Japanese hospitals are, therefore, repeatedly said to be suffering from the shortage of physicians and other medical staff.
Profile of physicians
In 2020, the average age of all registered physicians in Japan was 50.5 years old, indicating a constant increase in the last two decades. Of the total, around 23 percent were female physicians. Tokushima Prefecture had the highest number of physicians among all 47 prefectures, with about 356.7 physicians available per 100,000 population.
Physicians employed at hospitals
In Japan, medical facilities can be divided into two categories: hospitals and medical clinics. Japanese hospitals have facilities for the admission of 20 or more inpatients, while medical clinics provide a smaller scale of services. In 2020, the number of physicians working at hospitals exceeded 216 thousand, showing a continuous growth in recent years. In terms of specialty, the highest number of physicians, around 22 thousand, were working at internal medicine departments in the hospitals. Roughly 10.5 thousand were specializing in surgery.
Profile of physicians
In 2020, the average age of all registered physicians in Japan was 50.5 years old, indicating a constant increase in the last two decades. Of the total, around 23 percent were female physicians. Tokushima Prefecture had the highest number of physicians among all 47 prefectures, with about 356.7 physicians available per 100,000 population.
Physicians employed at hospitals
In Japan, medical facilities can be divided into two categories: hospitals and medical clinics. Japanese hospitals have facilities for the admission of 20 or more inpatients, while medical clinics provide a smaller scale of services. In 2020, the number of physicians working at hospitals exceeded 216 thousand, showing a continuous growth in recent years. In terms of specialty, the highest number of physicians, around 22 thousand, were working at internal medicine departments in the hospitals. Roughly 10.5 thousand were specializing in surgery.
