(new: details)
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – There are more doctors in the practices, and on average they are now even a little bit younger – but the treatment capacities for patients often remain strained and vary regionally. At the end of last year, 191,875 doctors and psychotherapists were working on the care of statutory health insurance patients. That was 2,324 more than at the end of 2024, as reported by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV). At the same time, however, a trend towards more flexible working is increasing.
“The available doctor’s time remains limited,” said KBV boss Andreas Gassen. Many young doctors tended towards part-time work and employment rather than their own practice. “This development must be taken seriously,” he warned. Because without the practices, almost nothing would work in terms of care. Politicians must therefore ensure attractive conditions.
More and more doctors are working part-time
On average across all specialist groups, the proportion of part-time work increased further to 40 percent. There are now 98,447 doctors working full time, twelve percent fewer than ten years ago. On the other hand, 45,795 have reduced hours, and that is a significant 135 percent more than in 2015. Among psychotherapists, the part-time share has been dominant for a long time and continues to grow.
The trend is leading to the number of doctors increasing faster than the treatment capacity. For example, two female doctors can share a full doctor’s office. A good third of doctors are now employed in practices or medical care centers and do not run a practice with their own health insurance approval.
Regional differences in the doctor network
There are still regional differences in the supply available locally. The network is densest in Heidelberg with 434.7 doctors and psychotherapists per 100,000 inhabitants, as can be seen from the data from the Federal Medical Register as of December 31, 2025. The fewest doctors and psychotherapists in this ratio are in the Coburg district in Bavaria, at 87.6. At the state level, Hamburg is at the top with 315.1, while Brandenburg is at the bottom with 199.3 doctors and psychotherapists per 100,000 inhabitants.
However, the practices of statutory health insurance physicians do not alone contribute to health care in the regions. There are also hospitals or physiotherapists, speech therapists and other health professionals. Patients from rural areas often use practices in nearby metropolitan areas. Specifically, it also depends on how good the connection with buses and trains is.
The average age is falling very slightly
The average age of doctors has now fallen slightly from 54.5 to 54.4 years. But that is not a warning sign, says the KBV. The number of younger people under 49 is increasing – but so is the number of older people over 60. And together with a continued part-time trend, this means: In the next 20 years, 25,000 full-time doctors will retire due to age. To replace this capacity on a part-time basis, perhaps 50,000 doctors would be needed.
The number of general practitioners has now also increased slightly by 343 to 55,778 compared to 2024. Given the part-time trend, the number of full general practitioner positions has fallen by 0.1 percent, explained the KBV. Around 5,000 seats are unfilled anyway. According to plans by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), family doctor’s practices should play an even more important role as first point of contact and guide patients to appointments with specialists.
Most family doctors over 65 in the West
However, there have been waves of retirement for some time now, especially in the west of the Republic. In the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, 43.5 percent of general practitioners are over 65 years old and in the entire state this figure is now 22.1 percent. In Saarland, 21.7 percent of general practitioners are over 65 and in the statutory health insurance region of Westphalia-Lippe in North Rhine-Westphalia, 19.7 percent are. In contrast, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania only 9.3 percent of family doctors are over 65.
The family doctor network there is also the densest compared to other countries – with 76.8 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants. This is followed by Hamburg with 73.4 and Berlin with 72.1. The lowest number is in Westphalia-Lippe with 60.7 general practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants and in Baden-Württemberg with 63.7. The basis is the population at the end of 2024.
From the perspective of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, it is clear that more doctors in the system cannot close the gap in care. There is still an uneven regional distribution, said board member Eugen Brysch. It would now be advisable to control doctor’s practices, but the Minister of Health is focusing on patient control. However, the plans for a requirement to see a family doctor first are not an answer to differences between cities and rural areas.
More female doctors, especially in the East
Women are continuing to advance in practices. Psychotherapists and doctors now together account for 53.2 percent, after exceeding the 50 percent mark in 2022. If you only look at female doctors, their proportion has now risen further to 47.4 percent. The following applies: the younger, the more feminine./sam/DP/nas
