Lack of doctors expected from 2025 in Germany

From 2025 Germany has to adjust to a shortage of doctors

01/10/2013

The shortage of doctors, which is often announced in the media, will take a few more years to come. This was the result of an investigation by the Institute of German Business (IW) in Cologne. Accordingly, Germany currently belongs to the top group in international comparison in terms of medical care: statistically speaking, there are 3.84 doctors for 1,000 inhabitants. From the year 2025, however, a shortage of doctors must be expected.

Lack of doctors due to the aging population
Germany does not suffer from a lack of doctors. Every year, around 6,600 physicians will retire from work in the coming years. „However, these are compared with about 10,000 alumni of human medicine each year“, it says in a statement of the IW. With a constant population, the number of physicians between 1999 and 2011 even increased by 92,000. „For now, the Germans need not worry about their medical care“, it goes on. There are currently at least 31,000 doctors from abroad practicing in Germany. Some of these are German citizens, who would have studied abroad because of high admission hurdles, the IW informs. With a medical density of 3.84 physicians per 1,000 inhabitants, Germany is among the front runners in international comparison. „The US comes to a value of 2.46, Japan to 2.21“, so the institute.

Despite the current density of doctors is expected from the year 2025 with a shortage of doctors. Above all, the IW identifies an increase in the number of doctors leaving the labor force as well as the aging population. Due to demographic change, around 9,500 doctors would have to be replaced. As there are more and more older people, the need for medical care increases at the same time. Both together could result in a shortage of doctors. In order to solve the problem, according to IW more training places for human medicine and easier access conditions should be created. „In addition, the recently facilitated immigration conditions for doctors from abroad will have a very positive effect on Germany.“ (Ag)