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Ranked: How Often People Go to the Doctor, by Country

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See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

This chart tracks the number of in-person doctor visits per year by country. Data is sourced from the OECD, as of 2021, or the latest year available.

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Ranked: How Often People Go to the Doctor, by Country

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

If a country’s average doctor visits are high, it could be easy to assume the population isn’t healthy. At the same time not going enough may seem like there’s an accessibility issue.

As with most sociological data, the devil is in the details. And differences in payment systems, insurance plans, and how healthcare is delivered all play a part into why going to the doctor is more common or not.

This chart tracks the number of in-person doctor visits per year by country. Data is sourced from the OECD, as of 2021, or the latest year available. Figures are rounded.

Nurse Practitioners are Easing Patient Loads in Some Countries

At the top of the list, South Koreans visit the doctor the most, around 16 times a year on average. These visits are helped by the country’s famously fast and efficient healthcare sector.

Like the U.S., South Korea has a fee-for-service system which allows patients to access what they need—but with very little wait times.

However, unlike the U.S., its national insurance program covers over 70% of the medical bills, lessening individual costs.

RankCountryRegionAnnual Doctor Visits per Person
1🇰🇷 South KoreaAsia16
2🇯🇵 JapanAsia11
3🇸🇰 SlovakiaEurope11
4🇩🇪 GermanyEurope10
5🇭🇺 HungaryEurope10
6🇳🇱 NetherlandsEurope9
7🇹🇷 TürkiyeMiddle East8
8🇨🇿 Czech RepublicEurope8
9🇵🇱 PolandEurope8
10🇮🇱 IsraelMiddle East7
11🇧🇪 BelgiumEurope7
12🇱🇹 LithuaniaEurope7
13🇦🇹 AustriaEurope7
14🇦🇺 AustraliaOceania6
15🇱🇻 LatviaEurope6
16🇭🇷 CroatiaEurope6
17🇸🇮 SloveniaEurope6
18🇧🇬 BulgariaEurope6
19🇫🇷 FranceEurope6
20🇮🇹 ItalyEurope5
21🇷🇴 RomaniaEurope5
22🇱🇺 LuxembourgEurope5
23🇪🇸 SpainEurope5
24🇨🇦 CanadaAmericas5
25🇫🇮 FinlandEurope4
26🇪🇪 EstoniaEurope4
27🇳🇴 NorwayEurope4
28🇩🇰 DenmarkEurope4
29🇵🇹 PortugalEurope4
30🇺🇸 U.S.Americas3
31🇬🇷 GreeceEurope3
32🇨🇱 ChileAmericas3
33🇸🇪 SwedenEurope2
34🇨🇷 Costa RicaAmericas2
35🇧🇷 BrazilAmericas2
36🇲🇽 MexicoAmericas2

On the other hand, Americans really don’t like visiting the doctor, averaging just two visits a year, one of the lowest in the world.

The OECD states that a large majority of the population faces high co-payments, which reduces regular checkups.

More importantly, nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals play an outsized role in treating patients, especially those with chronic conditions, which means actual doctor visits fall.

This difference in health care delivery explains also why the Swedes, Canadians, and Finns don’t go to the doctor as much either, as they rely on other medical staff for most of their health-related needs.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

As the world ages, the need for more doctors is only increasing. And some countries are able to attract them from across borders. Check out Europe’s Reliance on Foreign-Trained Doctors to see which ones are most successful.

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