Metric · Workforce
Dental hygienists total: market comparison
Dental hygienists (headcount); some markets register oral health therapists instead (see notes)
Dental Market Radar Editorial Team · Updated · Data as of
Across 6 of 12 markets with a value, the highest lead value for dental hygienists total is Japan at 149,579 persons and the lowest is New Zealand at 435 persons. Bases differ by market, so read the comparability rating beside each value.
Key points
- Japan had 149,579 dental hygienists in 2024, according to MHLW Report on Public Health Administration and Services 2024. It is the highest lead value among the markets.
- New Zealand had 435 dental hygienists in 2025, according to Dental Council Annual Report 2024/25. It is the lowest lead value among the markets.
Cite this
Dental Market Radar (dentalmarketradar.com), Dental hygienists total comparison, https://dentalmarketradar.com/metrics/dental-hygienists-total/
Permanent URL: https://dentalmarketradar.com/metrics/dental-hygienists-total/. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Definition
Dental hygienists (headcount); some markets register oral health therapists instead (see notes) Unit: persons. Category: Workforce.
Chart
Comparison table
| Market | Lead value | Basis | As of | Comparability | Calculation | Source | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 149,579 persons | employed | Comparability A | Report on Public Health Administration and Services 2024 (employed health workers) | Value | ||
| Thailand | 17,676 persons (stale) | other | Comparability C | WHO Global Health Observatory OData API - health workforce (NHWA) for Thailand | Value (stale) | ||
| Malaysia | 7,618 persons | other | Comparability C | WHO Global Health Observatory: National Health Workforce Accounts (dentists, dental assistants and therapists, dental prosthetic technicians) and oral health expenditure, Malaysia | Value | ||
| Australia | 1,996 persons | registered | Comparability A | Derived. Derived from Table 4: hygienist-only 1,492 + combined divisions including hygienist (1+1+329+1+117+7+48 = 504). Registered headcount. | Dental Board of Australia / Ahpra 2024/25 data tables (registrants at 30 June 2025) | Value | |
| Singapore | 467 persons | registered | Comparability B | Singapore Dental Council Annual Report 2025 | Value | ||
| New Zealand | 435 persons | registered | Comparability B | Dental Council Annual Report 2024/25 (register and APC data at 31 March 2025) | Value | ||
| Taiwan | Not applicable why Structural null (DECISIONS L8): dental hygienist is not a licensed profession in Taiwan, so no register count exists. Dental hygienist is not a separate licensed category in the clinic personnel… | other | Comparability C | Clinic personnel statistics open dataset, ROC year 114 (2025) | Not available | ||
| South Korea | Source blocked why No reliable public figure retrieved. Licensed vs active hygienist counts differ; MOHW or KDHA table needed. | not stated | Comparability not rated | Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics (licensing / medical institution statistics) | Not available | ||
| Vietnam | No figure found why No reliable figure found. Checked: MOH Decision 5628/QĐ-BYT (2021) Đề án nâng cao năng lực khám chữa bệnh RHM 2021-2030, FDI NLO reports, WHO GHO HWF_0012 (no VNM data). Why: Viet Nam has no… | other | Comparability not rated | Decision 5628/QĐ-BYT (2021): Project to improve odonto-stomatology treatment capacity and oral-health care 2021-2030 | Not available | ||
| Saudi Arabia | No figure found why No reliable figure found. MOH yearbook Table 2-14 gives 5,359 allied health personnel with speciality 'Dental' in MOH only (2023; 5,310 Saudi). That group mixes hygienists, assistants and technicians… | other | Comparability C | Statistical Yearbook 2023 (bilingual Arabic/English, 1445H) | Not available | ||
| United Arab Emirates | No figure found why No reliable figure found. The MOHAP annual report, DHA and DoH statistics would hold it, but they were not fetchable (MOHAP connection reset; DoH latest published statistics found are 2017). | other | Comparability C | WHO Global Health Observatory API: NHWA dentists (HWF_0011) and dental expenditure, United Arab Emirates | Not available | ||
| Qatar | No figure found why No reliable figure found. The NPC chapter publishes physicians, dentists, nurses and pharmacists only. Lead: DHP/QCHP registration statistics (Department of Healthcare Professions, MOPH). | other | Comparability C | Chapter VI Health Services Statistics 2025 (Arabic/English) | Not available |
The headline record leads where one is designated; its basis (for example practising or licensed) and comparability rating are shown next to every value. Per-capita values use the denominator named in the calculation (World Bank total population, same year). Money is shown in US$ at the market exchange rate with local currency beside it.
Markets with no figure
These markets have no published or reliable figure for dental hygienists total. We state why and do not estimate.
- Taiwan: Not applicable (structural), the measure does not exist or does not apply there. See the data record.
- South Korea: Source blocked (blocked_source), a source exists but could not be read. See the data record.
- Vietnam: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- Saudi Arabia: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- United Arab Emirates: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
- Qatar: No figure found (gap), we searched and found nothing. See the data record.
Comparability notes
A: same definition as the metric. B: close to the metric definition; the difference is noted. C: different basis; use with caution when comparing.
- Taiwan: No national licensed dental-hygienist category in Taiwan
- Japan: Licensed dental hygienists employed (就業) as reported to prefectures, as of end of year
- Singapore: Registered Oral Health Therapists: local- and foreign-trained dental hygienists and dental therapists (Part I and Part II of the Register)
- Malaysia: NHWA ISCO-08 3251 dental assistants and therapists; in Malaysia these are dental therapists (Juruterapi Pergigian), historically MOH-employed
- Thailand: WHO NHWA ISCO-08 3251 dental assistants and therapists
- Australia: Practitioners registered in the Dental hygienist division (alone or with other divisions)
- New Zealand: Practitioners registered in the dental hygiene profession
- Saudi Arabia: Dental hygienists (not separately published)
- United Arab Emirates: Dental hygienists (not found)
- Qatar: Dental hygienists (not published)
What does Dental hygienists total measure?
Dental hygienists (headcount); some markets register oral health therapists instead (see notes) Unit: persons.
Which market has the highest dental hygienists total?
Japan had 149,579 dental hygienists in 2024, according to MHLW Report on Public Health Administration and Services 2024. It is the highest lead value; other markets use different bases, so compare with care.
Which markets have no figure for dental hygienists total?
No figure is available for Taiwan (the measure does not exist or does not apply there); South Korea (a source exists but could not be read); Vietnam (we searched and found nothing); Saudi Arabia (we searched and found nothing); United Arab Emirates (we searched and found nothing); Qatar (we searched and found nothing). We do not estimate missing figures.
How many markets have data for dental hygienists total?
6 of 12 markets have a sourced value for dental hygienists total.