FSMB Census of Licensed Physicians in the United States, 2022

Abstract

There are 1,044,734 licensed physicians in the United States and District of Columbia, a physician workforce 23% larger than in 2010, based on data supplied by the nation’s state medical and osteopathic boards. Despite an impending shortage of physicians nationwide, the licensed physician population has grown relative to the nation’s total population, and since the last census in 2020 there have been significant increases in the number of new licenses issued by state medical boards—a trend driven predominantly by the use of telehealth services at levels significantly higher than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one-quarter (24%), or 247,424, of the nation’s physicians hold two or more active licenses, up from 23% in 2020, and state medical boards issued a record high of 129,427 new licenses in 2022, an increase of 27% from 2020. A demographic transition towards an older population in the United States is increasing as the demand for healthcare services continues to raise concerns about physician shortages. The physician population is aging alongside the general population, with the number of licensed physicians aged 60 years and older increasing by 54% since our 2010 census. The pandemic exacerbated the strains of an aging population on the entire healthcare system and physician workforce.