Health workforce snapshot: Saudi Arabia

21.8 24.4 24.5 26.8 26.5 27.5 23.9 25.3 26.4 27.6 43.7 47.4 47.8 51.5 53.7 54.7 57 57 55.5 58.2 0 20 40 60 80 100 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 D e n si ty p e r 1 0 0 0 0 p o p u la ti o n Density of physicians, nurses and midwives (2010–2019) Physicians Nursesrs s and midwives Health workforce snapshot SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI ARABIA AT A GLANCE1 Total population (2019)2 34 218 169 Gross national income per capita (US$, 2018)3 55 650 Unemployment (% of total labor force) (2018)3 5.9 Per capita current health expenditure (US$, 2017) 1147 Government health expenditure as % general government expenditure (2017) 10.1 Out-of-pocket expenditure as % of current health expenditure (2017) 14.3 Universal health coverage index (2015)4 77.8 Number of refugees (2016) 136 Maternal mortality per 100 000 live births (2018)5 11.9 Under 5 mortality per 1000 live births (2019)5 8.5 Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) (2019)6 98.7 Raised blood glucose (%, 18+ years) (2017) 17.4 Raised blood pressure (%, 18+ years) (2017) 23.3 Hepatitis B incidence rate per 100 000 (2016) 300 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Density per 10 000 population Density of physicians, nurses and midwives in the countries of the Region (2018) KEY FACTS  The health system relies heavily on expatriates. Approximately 60% of the health workers are non-Saudi.  There has been a slight improvement in the number of Saudi nurses, increasing from 32.3 to 37.5% during 2011–2015.7  There is a maldistribution between the rural (understaffed) and urban (overstaffed) primary care workforce.7  There is an unaddressed high turnover of expatriate health professionals, resulting in an estimated 20–25% per annum loss of trained workforce.7  The health system is moving towards family practice-based primary care, but the limited number of places available for family physician training presents a challenge in scaling up family practice.7 Source: Eastern Mediterranean Health Observatory. Data for 2018 and 2019 was sourced from the Ministry of Health’s Statistical Yearbook for 2019. Source: Eastern Mediterranean Health Observatory. Data for 2018 and 2019 was sourced from the Ministry of Health’s Statistical Yearbook for 2019. Source: Eastern Mediterranean Health Observatory. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 D e n si ty p e r 1 0 0 0 0 p o p u la ti o n Density of selected health professionals (2010–2019) Physicians Nurses and Midwives Dentists PharmacistsNurses and midwives © World Health Organization 2020 WHO-EM/HRH/652/E 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Distribution of health workforce by sector and nationality (2013–2019) Saudis Non-Saudis Ministry of Health Source: Eastern Mediterranean Health Observatory. Source: National Health Workforce Accounts. 1. Eastern Mediterranean Health Observatory [online data repository]. Cairo: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (https://rho.emro.who.int/data-r, accessed 1 December 2019). 2. Statistical yearbook of 2019. General Authority for Statistics, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2019 (https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/population_by_age_groups_and_gender_ar.pdf, accessed 18 August.2020). 3. The World Bank/Data [website].Washington DC: The World Bank; 2018 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD?locations=OM, accessed 18 August.2020). 4. Sustainable Development Report 2019. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), page 375 (https://sdgindex.org/reports/sustainable-development-report-2019/#citation, accessed 19 August 2020) 5. Statistical yearbook of 2018. General Authority for Statistics, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2018 (https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/1006, accessed 9 December 2019). 6. Statistical yearbook 2019. Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2019 (https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/book/Pages/default.aspx). 7. In-depth review of primary health care. Report of the WHO mission to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 13–18 February 2016. Source: National Health Workforce Accounts. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Optometrists Nutritionists Physiotherapists Medical Imaging Medical Lab Scientists Pharmacists Dentists Nurses Physicians % of total Gender distribution of health workforce (2018) Male Female Medical imaging 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Physicians Nurses Midwives Dentists Pharmacists Optometrists and Opthalmic Opticians Medical and Path Lab Scientists Medical Imagin Physiotherapists Nutritionists % o f to ta l Distribution by nationality and professions (2018) Saudis Non-Saudis Other government sectors Source: Statistical yearbook 2019. Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2019. Private sector 6 .1 6 .1 6 .1 7 .7 6 .9 6 .3 1 .6 1 .6 1 .6 6 .6 6 .5 7 .8 1 .3 2 .3 2 .3 2 .7 4 .2 4 .7 2 .3 2 .3 2 .3 3 .8 4 .3 4 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 4 2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 1 7 2 0 1 8 Density of graduates per 10 000 population (2013–2018) Physicians Nurses and Midwives Dentists Pharmacistsm i Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians Medical imaging Medical and pathology laboratory Medical labor tory scientists