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TABLE 201. TOTAL AND ACTIVE PHYSICIANS (MDs) AND PHYSICIAN-TO-POPULATION RATIOS, SELECTED YEARS: 1950-2000
YEAR
NUMBER OF     
PHYSICIANS 1/
TOTAL POP
(000S) 3/
PHYSICIANS
      PER 100,000     
POPULATION
ACTIVE
NON-FEDERAL
PHYSICIANS 2/
CIVILIAN POP
(000S) 3/
ACTIVE
NON-FEDERAL
PHYSICIANS
PER 100,000
CIVILIAN POP
TOTAL
ACTIVE 2/
TOTAL
ACTIVE
1950 219,997 208,997 154,668 142.2 135.1 193,900 153,216 126.6
1955 241,711 228,553 168,373 143.6 135.7 213,000 165,474 128.7
1960 260,484 247,257 183,236 142.2 134.9 230,200 180,727 127.4
1965 292,088 277,575 197,147 148.2 140.8 254,761 194,412 131.0
1970 334,028 311,203 208,066 160.5 149.6 281,702 204,736 137.6
1975 393,742 366,425 219,272 179.6 167.1 338,234 214,671 157.6
1976 409,446 378,572 221,333 185.0 171.0 350,994 216,309 162.3
1977 421,278 381,969 223,653 188.4 170.8 362,043 218,143 166.0
1978 437,486 401,364 226,043 193.5 177.6 381,122 219,890 173.3
1979 454,564 417,266 228,569 198.9 182.6 398,735 226,482 176.1
1980 467,679 435,545 231,266 202.2 188.3 417,758 229,097 182.3
1981 485,123 444,899 233,459 207.8 190.6 425,117 231,481 183.7
1982 501,958 462,947 235,691 213.0 196.4 443,467 233,842 189.6
1983 519,546 479,440 238,139 218.2 201.3 460,036 236,114 194.8
1985 552,716 511,090 242,024 228.4 211.2 489,523 240,589 203.5
1986 569,160 519,411 244,205 233.1 212.7 497,473 242,940 204.8
1987 585,597 534,692 246,379 237.7 217.0 512,946 245,253 209.1
   1988 4/ 600,789 549,160 248,596 241.7 220.9 528,801 246,421 214.6
   1989 4/ 615,421 559,988 251,142 245.0 223.0 539,513 248,706 216.9
    1990 4,5/ 631,830 572,660 253,250 249.5 226.1 553,150 251,350 220.1
1991 4/ 653,062 594,697 256,570 254.5 231.8 575,481 254,448 226.2
1992 4/ 670,336 605,685 259,250 258.6 233.6 584,011 257,286 227.0
1993 4/ 684,414 619,751 261,940 261.3 236.6 597,297 260,154 229.6
     1994 5,6/ 700,552 632,121 264,811 264.5 238.7 613,030 263,092 233.0
1995 720,325 646,022 267,186 269.6 241.8 624,943 265,556 235.3
1996 737,764 663,943 269,651 273.6 246.2 643,514 268,092 240.0
1997 756,710 684,605 272,262 277.9 251.5 665,249 270,746 245.7
1998 777,859 707,032 274,772 283.1 257.3 688,041 273,290 251.8
1999 797,634 720,855 277,240 287.7 260.0 702,805 275,786 254.8
2000 813,770 737,504 279,571 291.1 263.8 718,123 278,135 258.2

1/ Includes physicians in Federal Service; also includes physicians in U.S. possessions.
2/ Active physicians are physicians who are involved in patient care or non-patient care (teaching, research,administration, or other professional activities) for more than twenty hours a week. Active physicians also include unclassified physicians, i.e., physicians whose activity status or present employment setting are not known.
3/ Includes civilian population in U.S. Possessions.
4/ MD counts for 1988 through 1993 were reported as of Jan 1 of the following year by the American Medical Association. Prior to 1988 and starting in 1994, the data are as of Dec 31. In order to maintain consistency, MD counts in this table are reported as of Dec 31.
5/ Data are unpublished.
6/ Total and active physicians exclude address unknown.

SOURCE: Data for 1950 through 1960 from U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, National Center for Health Statistics. Health Resources Statistics 1965, PHS Pub. No. 1509, 1966; Data for 1965 through 2000 from American Medical Association. Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S., 2002-2003 Edition. Chicago, 2002. Also prior annual issues (formerly titled Physician Distribution and Medical Licensure in the US);US Bureau of the Census. Current Population Report Series P-25, Nos. 336, 460, 603, 941, 943, 960, 965, 1023, 1036, 1049, 1110, and 1128. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001 edition. Also prior annual editions.