France doctor numbers rise again but medical deserts persist, report finds

The number of doctors registered to practise in France continues to increase, according to the latest Atlas de la démographie médicale en France published by the Conseil national de l’Ordre des médecins (CNOM).

As of January 1, 2026, there were 245,847 doctors in active practice, including general practitioners and specialists, up 1.9% on the previous year (241,255). This amounts to a 14% increase since 2010, when there were 215,663 doctors.

Among the 205,214 physicians in ‘regular’ practice, 82,768 were GPs (40.3%), 96,433 were medical specialists (47%), and 26,008 were surgical specialists (12.7%).

The increase points to a shift in France’s medical landscape, often criticised as stagnant, and has been attributed to expanded training capacity and the growing contribution of doctors trained abroad.

Projections suggest that the upward trend will continue over the coming decade, with annual growth potentially around 2% through to 2040.

Uneven regional distribution remains

Despite this, the geographic spread of doctors remains uneven, contributing to the continuing issue of so-called ‘medical deserts’.

Dr Jean-Marcel Mourgues, vice-president of the CNOM and the report’s lead author, said: “While the number of doctors in regular practice in France is increasing for the third consecutive year, this does not yet improve the difficulties in accessing healthcare, particularly the territorial inequalities.

“The number of doctors should increase by around 40% by 2040 for a general population that will age significantly.”

The CNOM report shows that coastal and border areas have the highest numbers of doctors.

Departments with the largest year-on-year increases included Hautes-Alpes (+39.9%), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (+28.8%) and Morbihan (+27.4%). The sharpest declines, meanwhile, were in Gers (-14.9%), Yvelines (-14.6%), Creuse (-14.1%) and Cher (-14%).

Profession becoming younger and more flexible

The report also highlighted changes in how doctors work. The profession is becoming younger on average and increasingly feminised, with women now accounting for roughly half of all practising doctors.

At the same time, traditional full-time private practice continues to decline, while salaried roles and mixed practice models are becoming more common.

The CNOM also notes a growing number of doctors continuing to practise beyond retirement age, often on a part-time or intermittent basis.

The overall trends indicate workforce pressures and changing career expectations, in addition to longer-term issues surrounding the supply of fully active practitioners and future workforce planning.

To see how many doctors are in your area, visit the CNOM’s interactive map (Cartographie Interactive de la Démographie Médicale).