Germany emerged among EU countries with the lowest rate of doctor graduates per inhabitant in 2022, according to the latest Eurostat statistics.
More specifically, Germany recorded 12.4 medical doctor graduates per 100,000 inhabitants.
Considering that Germany’s population in 2022 was 84.4 million, it is estimated that only about 10,500 doctors graduated that year, Schengen.News reports.
Meanwhile, the rate of dentist graduates in Germany in 2022 was almost three per 100,000 inhabitants.
In addition to the low rate of medical graduates, Germany was also among the EU countries that reported a notable number of healthcare-related shortages.
The above-mentioned issues imply that Germany needs foreign doctors to prevent the crisis in healthcare shortages from deepening further.
In 2023, a good 31 per cent of doctors in human and dental medicine in Germany were aged 55 and above, as revealed by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
This means that a large share of the doctors are expected to retire from working in the upcoming years, and Germany will mainly rely on foreign doctors.
Despite doctors, Germany is facing a shortage of professional nurses. The country is estimated to need an additional 150,000 nurses by 2025.
Germany’s need for overseas healthcare workers is reflected in the rising number of foreign doctors in the country. Destatis revealed that 12 per cent of all doctors in Germany were foreigners in 2023.
In general, 115 foreign doctors settled in Germany. Moreover, the doctor profession was the second most recognised foreign professional qualification in 2022.
Healthcare is not the only sector where Germany needs migrant workers. According to the latest EURES report, the German labour market is grappling with shortages in over 70 occupations.
In addition to healthcare, other affected sectors include transportation, manufacturing, construction, engineering, and information technology.
To address shortages, Germany has recently relaxed some of its immigration rules.
One of the major changes includes the introduction of the Opportunity Card in June 2024, which makes it easier for non-EU citizens to find a job in Germany.
Another step in Germany’s move to tackle the workforce deficit is to recruit more Indian workers.
As the German Minister of Labour, Hubertus Heil, earlier revealed, respective authorities will present a detailed strategy to German-Indian government consultations this autumn.
