The Medical Council of New Zealand |Te Kaunihera Rata o
Aotearoa today released the results of its 2025 Workforce
Survey, showing continued growth, more diversity, and
important shifts in the medical workforce.

Chair Dr Rachelle Love said the findings highlight both
progress and challenges.

“We welcome the growth and
diversity reflected in this year’s survey. More doctors
are practising in Aotearoa, more women are entering the
profession, and younger cohorts show encouraging increases
in Māori and Pacific representation. At the same time, the
data reminds us of the continuing reliance on international
medical graduates, and the need for a workforce that better
reflects the communities we serve and our obligations to
consider global health needs when recruiting

“Every doctor who completes the survey helps
us understand where we are making gains, and where effort is
still needed — whether in retention, equitable
opportunities, or supporting sustainable training

Workforce growth –
Practising doctors increased by 2.6% in 2025,
reaching 20,530 — nearly 3,000 more than in
2020.Gender shift – Women now make
up 49.6% of the workforce, projected to outnumber men by
mid-2026.Ethnic diversity – Māori
doctors account for 5.5% of the workforce, Pacific Peoples
2.7%. Almost half of Māori (49.5%) and Pacific (46.4%)
doctors are under 35.International medical
graduates (IMGs) – IMGs make up 42.1% of practising
doctors.Retention – 99% of NZ
graduates are retained after one year and 88% after three
years; IMG retention is lower, with only 40% remaining after
two years.Regional distribution –
76.9% of doctors are based in the North Island; Auckland,
Canterbury, and Capital & Coast/Hutt Valley have the
largest concentrations.Vocational trends –
Vocational registration has grown 15% since 2020,
with emergency medicine (+37%) and diagnostic radiology
(+40%) showing the biggest gains.

The Workforce Survey is conducted annually as
part of practising certificate renewal. In 2025, 97.9% of
doctors responded, providing one of the most comprehensive
national workforce snapshots available. The annual workforce
report supplements the data dashboard that is updated

The full Workforce Survey Report 2025 can
be found on the Council’s website here:
https://www.mcnz.org.nz/about-us/news-and-updates/check-out-our-new-data-dashboard/

the data dashboard

https://www.mcnz.org.nz/about-us/news-and-updates/check-out-our-new-data-dashboard/

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Original source: nz