The objective was to calculate the turnover rate of Brazilian physicians. Descriptive, exploratory and quantitative study, carried out through secondary data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics. It is found a higher turnover rate in the Southeast and South regions, with averages higher than the national (36.7%). The lowest average was observed in the North region (24.7%). Stratification by population size indicates higher turnover in the groups of municipalities with a population between ten thousand and one hundred thousand inhabitants; and lower rates in big cities. Turnover cannot be fully understood without examining the context in which professionals are inserted.
Health manpower; Primary Health Care; Personnel management; Physicians