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Background <p>Family physicians are central to primary healthcare delivery, contributing to preventive care, improved health outcomes, more efficient use of healthcare resources, and the containment of healthcare costs. However, geographic inequalities in their distribution may undermine equitable access to these services. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Health Sector Transformation Program was launched to strengthen workforce planning and improve access to healthcare services. This study examines trends and regional inequalities in the distribution of the family physician workforce in Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023.</p> Methods <p>Data from the Ministry of Health Statistical Yearbook 2023 were used to calculate regional physician-to-population ratios and assess inequality using Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, disaggregated by sector, gender, and nationality.</p> Results <p>The family physician workforce grew from 7,634 to 10,242 between 2019 and 2023, raising the national ratio from 25.3 to 30.3 physicians per 100,000 population. Despite this growth, substantial regional and sectoral disparities persisted. The overall distribution exhibited a relatively low Gini coefficient (0.18), while inequality was higher in MOH Primary Healthcare Centres (0.27) and highest in the private sector (0.53), indicating strong concentration in a limited number of regions. Demographic differences were also observed: Saudi female physicians showed the greatest inequality (Gini = 0.51), whereas non-Saudi physicians had moderately unequal distributions (male Gini = 0.48; female Gini = 0.44). Several smaller regions exhibited higher physician densities than major urban centres, suggesting that workforce growth has not occurred uniformly relative to population growth across regions.</p> Conclusions <p>Although the national distribution of family physicians appears balanced, Lorenz curve analysis reveals significant inequalities across regions, sectors, and demographic groups. These findings have implications for workforce planning and monitoring, particularly in regions exhibiting comparatively low family physician-to-population ratios, gender-based disparities, and uneven private-sector distribution.</p>

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Inequalities in the distribution of the family physician workforce in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a regional analysis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月31日

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  • Waleed Kattan,
  • Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi

摘要

Background

Family physicians are central to primary healthcare delivery, contributing to preventive care, improved health outcomes, more efficient use of healthcare resources, and the containment of healthcare costs. However, geographic inequalities in their distribution may undermine equitable access to these services. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Health Sector Transformation Program was launched to strengthen workforce planning and improve access to healthcare services. This study examines trends and regional inequalities in the distribution of the family physician workforce in Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023.

Methods

Data from the Ministry of Health Statistical Yearbook 2023 were used to calculate regional physician-to-population ratios and assess inequality using Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, disaggregated by sector, gender, and nationality.

Results

The family physician workforce grew from 7,634 to 10,242 between 2019 and 2023, raising the national ratio from 25.3 to 30.3 physicians per 100,000 population. Despite this growth, substantial regional and sectoral disparities persisted. The overall distribution exhibited a relatively low Gini coefficient (0.18), while inequality was higher in MOH Primary Healthcare Centres (0.27) and highest in the private sector (0.53), indicating strong concentration in a limited number of regions. Demographic differences were also observed: Saudi female physicians showed the greatest inequality (Gini = 0.51), whereas non-Saudi physicians had moderately unequal distributions (male Gini = 0.48; female Gini = 0.44). Several smaller regions exhibited higher physician densities than major urban centres, suggesting that workforce growth has not occurred uniformly relative to population growth across regions.

Conclusions

Although the national distribution of family physicians appears balanced, Lorenz curve analysis reveals significant inequalities across regions, sectors, and demographic groups. These findings have implications for workforce planning and monitoring, particularly in regions exhibiting comparatively low family physician-to-population ratios, gender-based disparities, and uneven private-sector distribution.