About one in eight doctors in Germany do not have German citizenship - Germany's ageing doctors and foreign recruits reshape its medical workforce

Germany's medical workforce is undergoing major changes as older doctors near retirement and foreign-trained professionals fill gaps. In 2024, nearly a third of physicians were 55 or older, while immigrant doctors made up nearly a quarter of the total workforce.

The shift comes alongside a rise in part-time work, reducing average weekly hours despite growing demand for healthcare services.

A decade ago, only 7% of Germany's doctors came from abroad—around 30,000 in total. By 2024, that figure had tripled, with 121,000 foreign-trained physicians working in human and dental medicine. This group now represents 24% of the country's medical staff.

Of these immigrant doctors, 64,000 did not hold German citizenship, while the remaining 57,000 had obtained it. The increase reflects broader trends, as medicine became the second most recognised foreign profession in Germany after nursing. In 2024 alone, 7,600 foreign medical degrees received full approval to practice.

At the same time, part-time work among doctors has surged. In 2014, just 15% worked reduced hours; by 2024, that share had nearly doubled to 28%. As a result, the average physician worked 40.3 hours per week—six hours more than the national average but still down from previous years.

Efforts to train more doctors domestically have also expanded. The number of first-year medical students climbed by 30% over the past decade, reaching 15,900 in the 2024/2025 winter semester. Dental programmes, however, saw little change, with enrolment holding steady at just under 2,000 new students.

With an ageing workforce and rising reliance on foreign-trained doctors, Germany's healthcare system faces both challenges and adaptations. The growing share of part-time physicians and increased student intake suggest ongoing adjustments to meet future demand.

Yet the high proportion of immigrant doctors—now a quarter of the total—highlights the country's dependence on international recruitment to maintain medical services.