Physicians’ Position in the National Income Distribution Across Countries

In this project, we examine how physicians’ position in the income distribution varies across countries with very different levels of physician earnings. As healthcare costs rise and populations age in many countries, policymakers have shown increasing interest in better understanding the physician workforce. A key question is whether physicians’ earnings influence individuals’ decisions to pursue a medical career. While many policy discussions have focused on income levels, physicians’ relative position in the national income distribution may be more important for occupational choice.

We will analyze physicians’ position in the income distribution across countries using administrative data on earnings and occupations.