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

Visual Capitalist ^ | 12/05/2024 | Pallavi Rao

[SeekAndFind]

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, via Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao, 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.

Rank	Country	Region	Annual Doctor Visits per Person
1	🇰🇷 South Korea	Asia	16
2	🇯🇵 Japan	Asia	11
3	🇸🇰 Slovakia	Europe	11
4	🇩🇪 Germany	Europe	10
5	🇭🇺 Hungary	Europe	10
6	🇳🇱 Netherlands	Europe	9
7	🇹🇷 Türkiye	Middle East	8
8	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	Europe	8
9	🇵🇱 Poland	Europe	8
10	🇮🇱 Israel	Middle East	7
11	🇧🇪 Belgium	Europe	7
12	🇱🇹 Lithuania	Europe	7
13	🇦🇹 Austria	Europe	7
14	🇦🇺 Australia	Oceania	6
15	🇱🇻 Latvia	Europe	6
16	🇭🇷 Croatia	Europe	6
17	🇸🇮 Slovenia	Europe	6
18	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	Europe	6
19	🇫🇷 France	Europe	6
20	🇮🇹 Italy	Europe	5
21	🇷🇴 Romania	Europe	5
22	🇱🇺 Luxembourg	Europe	5
23	🇪🇸 Spain	Europe	5
24	🇨🇦 Canada	Americas	5
25	🇫🇮 Finland	Europe	4
26	🇪🇪 Estonia	Europe	4
27	🇳🇴 Norway	Europe	4
28	🇩🇰 Denmark	Europe	4
29	🇵🇹 Portugal	Europe	4
30	🇺🇸 U.S.	Americas	3
31	🇬🇷 Greece	Europe	3
32	🇨🇱 Chile	Americas	3
33	🇸🇪 Sweden	Europe	2
34	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Americas	2
35	🇧🇷 Brazil	Americas	2
36	🇲🇽 Mexico	Americas	2

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.

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.

[Jonty30]

I haven’t been to one in about 20 years. I probably have several cancers, an enlarged prostrate, angina, and all kinds of stuff that I don’t know about.

[BradyLS]

Yes. I’m of the mind that if they don’t tell me, I can’t have it! 😄

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“And some countries are able to attract them from across borders”

Here in Silicon Valley, my first three GPs / family doctors over the past 45 years were native-born white males. Now all my doctors are immigrants and about 2/3 female. All of them are very competent and nice people. I sense more personal caring for patients from the immigrants, too.

[clearcarbon]

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

England didn't make the list?

[central_va]

It would be fun to see a chart for dental visits per year.

England: 0

[FamiliarFace]

Primary/ General doctor annually
Eye M.D. annually
Female doctor annually

I guess I fit the average.

Everything is a-ok here.

[NEMDF]

Me, too. I don’t think I have been in maybe 10 years? Other than chiropractor. I seem to be ticking along okay.

[LVS1]

England probably didn’t make the list as the patients are likely on a waiting list.

[Greg123456]

Do South Koreans go to the doctor for a paper cut? A splinter? A stubbed toe?

[SisterK]

I am astonished
but I go to a church filled with old people and they go to doctor about 40 times per year

I will go years in between doctor visits

[Organic Panic]

2 visits a year in America? How? In my only there is only one provider and one insurance option thanks to Obamacare. I tried to get to a doctor early in the year and the earliest they could get me in was 7 months. And for the “free” annual checkup the closest place accepting new patients was 3 hours away. There is a walk in clinic for stitching me up but if there is something you need for maintenance health care, forget it.