Argentina medical workforce report shows significant regional disparities

A report by the National Ministry of Health’s Federal Observatory of Human Talent in Health (OFETHuS) reveals that Argentina has 194,027 professionally active doctors, representing 79.3% of the 244,588 licensed professionals in the country.

While the national average of 41.8 active doctors per 10,000 inhabitants exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 30 per 10,000, significant geographic inequality exists. The rate in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is the highest at 156.2 per 10,000 inhabitants, whereas Santiago del Estero has the lowest at 17.9 per 10,000.

In the Northwest region (NOA), Tucumán leads with 34.3 active doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, followed by Catamarca (28.1), Jujuy (26.3), Salta (24.5), and Santiago del Estero (17.9). Although Tucumán has the highest density in the NOA, its rate remains below the national average.