The number of doctors in india is increasing rapidly and the Union health Ministry estimates that by the year 2030, the doctor-population ratio of the country will be better than the standards of the World health Organization. The WHO standard is one doctor per 1000 population.
According to sources in the National Medical Council, by the end of 2024, there were 13.86 lakh registered allopathic doctors in India. It is estimated that about 80% of these doctors are actively working, making the total number of active allopathic doctors 11.08 lakh.
At the same time, india currently has 1.20 lakh MBBS seats. At this pace, about 7.20 lakh new doctors will be prepared between 2024 and 2030. However, this figure may increase further due to the increase in the number of medical seats during this period. Based on these estimates, the total number of active doctors in the country will cross 18 lakh by 2030.
Ratio better than WHO standards
According to UN estimates, India's population will be around 1.5 billion in 2030. With this population, the doctor-population ratio for allopathic doctors will be 1:833, i.e. one allopathic doctor will be available for every 833 people. This ratio will be much better than the WHO standards (1:1000), which only includes allopathic doctors.
Contribution of AYUSH doctors
According to the health Ministry, if we include AYUSH doctors along with allopathy doctors, the current ratio is 1:811, i.e. one doctor of allopathy or AYUSH for every 811 people. According to the data of the Ministry of AYUSH, there are currently 7,51,768 registered AYUSH doctors in the country, of which about 80% are active, making their total number about six lakh.
Reasons for increase in the number of doctors
There are many important factors behind the significant increase in the number of doctors in India. This includes the increase in MBBS seats. Before 2014, there were 51,348 MBBS seats. At the same time, by 2024-2025, this number has increased to more than 1,18,000, which is an increase of more than 130%. At the same time, the number of medical colleges has also increased. In 2014, there were 387 medical colleges in the country, whose number has now increased to more than 780. Apart from this, there has also been an increase of 135% in post graduate seats, which have increased from 31,185 before 2014 to 73,157 now.
This shows that india is not only increasing the number of allopathic doctors, but AYUSH doctors are also making a significant contribution to strengthening the overall healthcare system. There are about 780 medical colleges in the country, which are playing an important role in this growth.
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