Presidential Office: "Number of Doctors in Our Country Lowest Among OECD, Confirmed Again by International Statistics"

"Medical School Expansion 'Not a Choice but a Necessity'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 26th, the Presidential Office stated that the number of doctors in South Korea ranked the lowest in the 'OECD Health Statistics 2024' released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the same day, confirming once again through international statistics the absolute shortage of doctors.

A senior official from the Presidential Office said, "Compared to the OECD average, it shows that about 60,000 doctors are still lacking," adding, "60,000 is an enormous number, exceeding half of all doctors currently practicing domestically."

He emphasized, "From the perspective of South Korea entering a super-aged society next year, this clearly shows that increasing the number of medical students is 'not a choice but a necessity' to protect public health."

According to the 'OECD Health Statistics 2024' released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the same day, the number of practicing doctors per 1,000 people in South Korea in 2022 was 2.6, ranking joint lowest with Mexico among the 38 OECD member countries.

The country with the highest number of practicing doctors was Austria, with 5.4 per 1,000 people, followed by Norway (4.9), Germany (4.6), and Denmark and Switzerland (4.5) respectively.