Australian medical practitioners: trends in demographics and regions of work 2013-2022

This study aimed to examine changes in the demographics and regions of work of Australian doctors over a period of 9 years.

A retrospective study of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration data was performed. Data were sourced from the Health Workforce Dataset Online Data Tool which was derived from annual registration data from AHPRA for 2013-2022. The demographic factors analysed were gender, age, and origin of qualification. Regions of work were defined using the Modified Monash (MM) model.

The number of registered doctors increased from 82,408 in 2013 to 111,908 in 2022 but mean hours worked per week decreased from 41 to 39 leading up to 2020. Trends in age and origin of qualification remained stable, but the proportion of female workers increased from 38.5% in 2013 to 44.5% in 2022. While female hours per week (~37) were consistent from 2013 to 2020, male hours per week decreased from 43 to 41. The number of registrations and total full-time equivalent (FTE) outcomes increased consistently in metropolitan (MM1) and rural (MM2-5) regions but did not increase for remote and very remote (MM6-7) regions.

The Australian medical workforce both grew and changed between 2013 and 2022. An overall decrease in mean hours worked appears to be driven by a decline in hours worked by male workers and the increased proportion of female workers. While increased gender parity and a decrease in hours worked per week were positive outcomes, a lack of growth in the medical workforce was noted in remote and very remote regions of Australia.