Overview
- Spain’s medical council projects about 69,000 physician retirements from 2025 to 2035, roughly one quarter of the active workforce.
- National physician density exceeds the EU average (439 vs 420 per 100,000), yet regional maldistribution leaves rural provinces and some autonomous communities with shortages.
- The OMC urges an Interterritorial Council “pacto de reposición” with fair redistribution of posts, common planning criteria, and mobility incentives.
- Training capacity continues to rise with 12,366 specialist slots planned for 2026, including 9,276 for medicine and 2,508 in Family and Community Medicine, alongside 53 medical faculties.
- The workforce is rapidly feminizing and emigration remains low, and some regions report many doctors working past 65 as services try to maintain coverage.