A large number of doctors are set to retire in the near future, according to a statistician's prediction.
Many doctors and dentists in Germany plan to call it quits in the near future, reveals the Federal Statistical Office. About 31% of professionals in human and dental medicine are aged 55 or older, a higher percentage compared to all workers (26%).
Despite a 23% growth in the number of doctors from 2013 to 2023, reaching a total of 502,000, the share of those above 55 years has also risen. A decade ago, it stood at 26%.
The Federal Statistical Office attributed the high proportion of experienced doctors nearing retirement to the influx of foreign professionals in the industry. In 2023, around 62,000 foreign doctors and dentists were employed, making up 12% of the workforce, up from 7% and 29,000 in 2013, respectively. The study's authors linked the increase to Germany's history of immigration.
Out of the 218,000 doctors practicing in Germany in the past year, one-quarter were foreign nationals, some of whom had acquired German citizenship.
The number of students enrolling in human medicine courses has been on the rise in recent years, according to the Federal Office. In the 2022/23 winter semester alone, 14,300 new students commenced their studies. However, dental medicine saw stable figures, with 1,900 students starting their studies during the same semester, similar to data from a decade ago.
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In light of the statistician's prediction, many professionals in the medical field, including doctors, are preparing for retirement in the coming years. Despite the significant increase in the number of Statisticians in the medical field over the years, the percentage of experienced doctors approaching retirement has also risen.
Source: www.ntv.de
