The number of male physicians outnumber female physicians in the U.S. in most specialties. The only major exceptions are found in pediatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, although female physicians do slightly outnumber males in a few other specialties. As of 2021, there were around 68,400 male family medicine/general practice physicians compared to 50,000 women in this specialty.
Physicians in the U.S.
Both the number of doctors and rate of doctors in the U.S. have increased over the years. As of 2021, there were around 946,800 active doctors of medicine in the U.S. This was around 29.9 physicians per 10,000 civilian population. In 1995, this rate stood at 24.2 physicians per 10,000 population.
Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender
Characteristic
Male
Female
Allergy and Immunology
2,849
2,158
Anatomic/Clinical Pathology
7,433
4,738
Anesthesiology
31,188
11,032
Cardiovascular Disease
18,795
3,448
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
4,520
5,441
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
2,360
266
Critical Care Medicine
10,281
3,861
Dermatology
6,091
6,665
Emergency Medicine
33,257
13,565
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
3,867
4,367
Family Medicine/General Practice
68,411
50,053
Gastroenterology
12,576
3,083
General Surgery
19,234
5,627
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Number of physicians2,1582,1584,7384,73811,03211,0323,4483,4485,4415,4412662663,8613,8616,6656,66513,56513,5654,3674,36750,05350,0533,0833,0835,6275,6273,3823,3825,8285,8284,2424,24247,11547,1153,0443,0443903903,2813,2813,3883,3885515514,3404,34083483425,68225,6825,1525,1521,0901,0901,8121,8121,2201,2201,4551,4551,1311,1311,3741,3741,7681,76839,18939,1893,4743,4741,2751,2752,3592,35915,71115,7116166161,4891,4897,3047,3043,0343,0348818812172173693691,0031,0033993996236232,8492,8497,4337,43331,18831,18818,79518,7954,5204,5202,3602,36010,28110,2816,0916,09133,25733,2573,8673,86768,41168,41112,57612,57619,23419,2342,7612,76110,82610,8265,6575,65773,01673,0162,6552,6554,3384,3382,7712,7718,1538,1535,1935,1939,4999,4993,4713,47116,77716,77713,78613,78617,37417,3747,7987,7985,0075,0071,3811,3811,8581,8581,3981,3981,4081,40821,06321,0636,2246,2245,9495,9494,1924,19222,69022,6904,2504,2503,8843,88419,87619,8763,3733,3732,3202,3202,8482,8484,0794,0799,0749,0743,6113,6113,4143,414MaleFemaleAllergy and ImmunologyAnatomic/Clinical PathologyAnesthesiologyCardiovascular DiseaseChild and Adolescent PsychiatryClinical Cardiac ElectrophysiologyCritical Care MedicineDermatologyEmergency MedicineEndocrinology, Diabetes, and MetabolismFamily Medicine/General PracticeGastroenterologyGeneral SurgeryGeriatric MedicineHematology and OncologyInfectious DiseaseInternal MedicineInternal Medicine/PediatricsInterventional CardiologyNeonatal-Perinatal MedicineNephrologyNeurological SurgeryNeurologyNeuroradiologyObstetrics and GynecologyOphthalmologyOrthopedic SurgeryOtolaryngologyPain Medicine and Pain ManagementPediatric Anesthesiology (Anesthesiology)Pediatric CardiologyPediatric Critical Care MedicinePediatric Hematology/OncologyPediatricsPhysical Medicine and RehabilitationPlastic SurgeryPreventive MedicinePsychiatryPulmonary DiseaseRadiation OncologyRadiology and Diagnostic RadiologyRheumatologySports MedicineSports Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery)Thoracic SurgeryUrologyVascular and Interventional RadiologyVascular surgery
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The AMA Physician Dataset defines gender as "male" OR "female." Although limited to these categories within our analyses, we acknowledge sex and gender as fluid, non-binary variables.
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AAMC. (January 12, 2023). Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/
AAMC. "Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender." Chart. January 12, 2023. Statista. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/
AAMC. (2023). Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/
AAMC. "Number of Active Physicians in The U.S. in 2021, by Specialty and Gender." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/
AAMC, Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/ (last visited February 23, 2025)
Number of active physicians in the U.S. in 2021, by specialty and gender [Graph], AAMC, January 12, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/439728/active-physicians-by-specialty-and-gender-in-the-us/
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