Practicing physiotherapists in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2023

In 2023, there were over 33 thousand practicing physiotherapists employed in the health sector in the United Kingdom. This is an increase of almost 70 percent from the year 2000, when there were around 19.4 thousand physiotherapists employed in the country. 

Frequency of visiting physios in the UK

  As of 2018, there were 33 percent of individuals in the UK who were living with a long-standing limiting health condition or illness. This was higher than the share of those in other similar sized Western European countries such as Spain and France, but below 40 percent of the German population living with a long-term health condition. The same year, five percent of people in the UK said they visited a physical or occupational therapist at least three times a year. Overall, 19 percent of those in the UK visited a physical or occupation therapist at least once a year. 

Other healthcare positions also increasing

Across the same time period, the number of physicians in the UK has increased by over 86 percent resulting in approximately 215 thousand employed physicians in 2022. The number of practicing nurses in the UK has also increased, but at a lot lower rate, to approximately 585.3 thousand nurses in 2022.