As of 2018, the largest distribution of U.S. physicians was between the ages of 55 and 65 years old. At that time about ** percent of physicians fell within this age group. With just **** percent of all physicians, the smallest distribution of U.S. physicians was among those aged 35 years or younger. Data suggests that in the U.S. the average age of medical students is around 24 years old and the average age of matriculants is about **.

U.S. Physician demographics  

It is estimated that one of the best ways to combat aging population health needs is to increase the number of doctors practicing in the U.S. In general, the number of physicians in the U.S. has been on the rise. Every year about 20 thousand new physicians join the U.S. workforce. Despite an increase in the number of physicians the number of active physicians per 10,000 people has remained relatively stagnant in recent years. As of 2019, the specialty with the largest number of physicians was psychiatry, followed by surgery.

Physician compensation  

Physician compensation varies significantly between regions and genders. With graduates owing an average of ******* U.S. dollars in student loans upon graduation, equal compensation has become especially important. However, women in the medical industry make significantly less income than their male counterparts. As of 2019, female physicians earned between ** and ** thousand U.S. dollars less than male physicians. Regionally, there are also significant differences. As of 2018, physicians working in the North Central U.S. had higher annual compensation than those in other areas. Those working in the Northeast had the lowest annual compensation.

Introduction

Male and Female Doctor Statistics: Male and female doctors play a crucial role in the medical industry, significantly impacting healthcare across various fields. Traditionally, the profession has been male-dominated, but in recent years, gender dynamics have shifted noticeably. The increasing number of women in healthcare has led to more gender diversity, especially in clinical and leadership roles.

Recent statistics indicate a steady increase in the proportion of female doctors, gradually narrowing the gender gap that once favoured men. However, male doctors continue to dominate in certain fields, particularly those that require physical strength, and maintain a stronger presence in senior leadership positions within healthcare organisations. These shifting gender trends are impacting the future of the medical profession, influencing patient care and the broader structure of healthcare delivery.

As of 2023, roughly one in 15 active physicians in the United States were Hispanic (regardless of race). Asians were overrepresented, accounting for nearly one in 5 physicians in the U.S., while Asians made up just 6.3 percent of the total U.S. population.

Number of doctors per 10,000 population Source: Doctors - Boards and Councils Office, Department of Health Population - Demographic Statistics Section (1), Census and Statistics Department

The number of male physicians outnumbers female physicians in the U.S. in most specialties. The only major exceptions are found in pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, although female physicians do slightly outnumber males in a few other specialties. As of 2021, there were around 68,400 male family medicine/general practice physicians compared to 50,000 women in this specialty. Physicians in the U.S. Both the number of doctors and rate of doctors in the U.S. have increased over the years. As of 2021, there were around 946,800 active doctors of medicine in the U.S. This was around 29.9 physicians per 10,000 civilian population. In 1995, this rate stood at 24.2 physicians per 10,000 population. Physicians by state The states with the highest overall number of active physicians are California, New York, Texas, and Florida. However, the states with the highest rate of physicians per 10,000 civilian population include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland. The District of Columbia has the highest rate of physicians by a large margin, with around 74.6 physicians per 10,000 population. The state with the highest annual compensation for physicians is Oklahoma, where physicians earn an annual average of 337,000 dollars.

This table contains 14784 series, with data for years 1994 - 1998 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years). This table contains data described by the following dimensions (not all combinations are available): Geography (11 items: Canada; Nova Scotia; Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island ...), Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 12-19 years; 12-14 years; 15-19 years ...), Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...), Contact with medical doctors (4 items: Total population for the variable contact with medical doctors; Contact with medical doctors; not stated; No contact with medical doctors in past 12 months; Contact with medical doctors in past 12 months ...), Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval - number of persons; High 95% confidence interval - number of persons ...).

Finland Population Per Medical Doctors Graduates was up 0.5% in 2019, from a year earlier.

The number of physicians across the United States reveals significant variations, with California leading the pack at nearly ******* active doctors as of April 2025. This concentration of medical professionals in populous states highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring adequate healthcare access nationwide. The stark contrast between California's physician count and Wyoming's mere ***** doctors underscores the need for targeted efforts to address healthcare workforce shortages in less populated areas. Primary care and specialist distribution California leads also in both primary care physicians and specialists, accounting for over ** percent of each category nationally. This concentration of medical expertise in California reflects broader trends, with New York and Texas following as the states with the highest numbers of active primary care physicians. The distribution of specialists also mirrors national patterns, with psychiatry, surgery, and anaesthesiology among the most common specialties. Physician burnout While the number of physicians continues to grow, physician burnout remains a significant issue. There are large variations in rates of burnout depending on a physician's gender and specialty. For example, burnout is disproportionally high among women, affecting ** percent of female physicians and ** percent of male physicians. Meanwhile, emergency medicine physicians reported the highest levels of burnout among specialists, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support the individual needs of doctors depending on their different circumstances.

Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.254 Ratio in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.212 Ratio for 2019. Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.186 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.298 Ratio in 2014 and a record low of 0.035 Ratio in 1960. Afghanistan Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Afghanistan – Table AF.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.;World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.c.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Austria leads the world in physician density with **** practicing doctors per thousand population in 2022, highlighting significant disparities in healthcare access globally. This stark contrast becomes evident when comparing Austria to countries like India, South Africa, and Indonesia, which have less than * physician per 1,000 people. Life expectancy and healthcare access Interestingly, countries with higher physician densities often correlate with higher life expectancies. Switzerland, for instance, boasts both a high physician density of **** per 1,000 people and the highest life expectancy globally at **** years. This relationship underscores the potential impact of accessible healthcare on population health. However, exceptions exist, as evidenced by the United States, where life expectancy has decreased in recent years despite having **** physicians per 1,000 people. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic have contributed to this decline. Healthcare expenditure and physician density While physician density is an important metric, it does not always directly correlate with healthcare spending. The United States, for example, has the highest per capita health expenditure among OECD countries, spending over ****** U.S. dollars per person in 2023. This is significantly higher than countries with greater physician densities like Austria and Germany. The U.S. also allocates the largest share of its GDP to healthcare, at **** percent. The United States is an outlier regarding the correlation between healthcare spending, resources and health outcomes.

Algeria DZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.987 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.732 Ratio for 2018. Algeria DZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.894 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2019, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.842 Ratio in 2016 and a record low of 0.116 Ratio in 1965. Algeria DZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Algeria – Table DZ.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.;World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.;Weighted average;This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.c.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Market Size statistics on the Primary Care Doctors industry in the US

Tanzania TZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.022 Ratio in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.030 Ratio for 2012. Tanzania TZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.040 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.055 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 0.008 Ratio in 2010. Tanzania TZ: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Tanzania – Table TZ.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

Forecast: Population Per Medical Doctors Graduates in France 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

The average for 2020 based on 27 countries was 3.56 doctors per 1,000 people. The highest value was in Austria: 5.35 doctors per 1,000 people and the lowest value was in Brazil: 2.05 doctors per 1,000 people. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, there was one doctor or physician for ****** people in the Philippines, indicating a significant decrease in the physician-to-population ratio from the previous year. The ratio of doctors to population has gradually declined since 2019.

Export: CSV, HTML and XLS Source: www.ecosante.fr Irdes based on data from the Drees/Asip-Santé Adeli directory

Yemen YE: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.311 Ratio in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.310 Ratio for 2009. Yemen YE: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.219 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.338 Ratio in 2004 and a record low of 0.007 Ratio in 1990. Yemen YE: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Yemen – Table YE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;

Forecast: Population Per Medical Doctors Graduates in Italy 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Laos LA: Physicians: per 1000 People data was reported at 0.491 Ratio in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.447 Ratio for 2013. Laos LA: Physicians: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 0.277 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2014, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.729 Ratio in 1985 and a record low of 0.020 Ratio in 1960. Laos LA: Physicians: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.; ; World Health Organization's Global Health Workforce Statistics, OECD, supplemented by country data.; Weighted average;