Table 1 Physician supply and socioeconomic characteristics of study area (mean values), 2003–2013

Region

Variable

Urban district

County-level city

Urban district

County-level city

Overall

N = 272

N = 368

N = 281

N = 357

Physician density

2.47

1.36

3.20

1.92

High school education or above (%)

21.13

11.50

34.12

21.51

GDP per capita (10,000 CNY)

1.46

0.95

3.76

3.43

Migrant (%)

21.25

10.43

27.97

16.38

Central

N = 79

N = 88

N = 80

N = 84

Physician density

2.62

1.33

3.57

1.85

High school education or above (%)

21.97

10.84

36.92

22.10

GDP per capita (10,000 CNY)

1.14

0.67

3.26

3.25

Migrant (%)

19.29

6.66

24.7

10.76

Northeastern

N = 34

N = 56

N = 34

N = 55

Physician density

2.73

1.61

2.87

1.68

High school education or above (%)

24.77

13.09

36.88

19.67

GDP per capita (10,000 CNY)

1.38

0.81

4.08

3.29

Migrant (%)

19.74

9.43

24.00

12.79

Western

N = 72

N = 80

N = 84

N = 80

Physician density

2.17

1.63

2.91

2.36

High school education or above (%)

17.63

12.84

29.45

23.78

GDP per capita (10,000 CNY)

1.08

0.90

3.21

3.31

Migrant (%)

17.20

15.15

27.27

21.51

Eastern

N = 87

N = 144

N = 83

N = 138

Physician density

2.48

1.13

3.28

1.81

High school education or above (%)

21.84

10.53

35.01

20.57

GDP per capita (10,000 CNY)

2.11

1.20

4.59

3.67

Migrant (%)

26.97

10.51

33.46

18.24