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# GP shortages
- URL: https://marginsofcare.com/gp-shortages/
- Published: 2026-07-27T20:07:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-27T20:07:38.000Z
- Author: Eva Worst

From [kma Online](https://www.kma-online.de/aktuelles/medizin/detail/hausarztmangel-2040-studie-zeigt-wege-aus-der-krise-56024?ref=marginsofcare.com) (translated, emphasis mine):

> Grim prospects: Germany is already short approximately 4,400 general practitioners. By 2040, this gap could widen to around 12,000 unfilled GP positions – that would be roughly one in five positions nationwide. This is shown in the recently published study "Primary Care 2035+ – Redesigning Local Healthcare," which the IGES Institute prepared on behalf of the Bosch Health Campus…

> According to studies, the reasons for the shortage of general practitioners are, on the one hand, the growing need for care: An aging population with an increasing proportion of chronically ill people needs more, not less, general practitioner services. On the other hand, a massive shortage of practicing physicians is looming: Already today, 37 percent of general practitioners are 60 years of age or older. By 2040, 55 percent of currently practicing general practitioners will retire due to age.

> **While the number of medical school graduates is increasing, this growth is offset by part-time study models and a growing preference for salaried positions.** According to the study, the actual available healthcare capacity will fall short of the need for approximately 65 general practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants.

In Germany around [35% of all doctors](https://marginsofcare.com/clinician-economics-part-1/) and 66% of out-patient ones, including GPs, are practice owners. This means their remuneration is directly related to how many patients they see, how often they see them and how complex their cases are. While this enables the option for considerably higher income compared to their salaried colleagues, it also means owning a business with all the risks that this entails. The fact that young people are increasing choosing to forgo this model suggests a certain unattractiveness. Of course, money is important but you don’t become a doctor for the money. So if there are various ways to treat people, wouldn’t you chose the one where your income is guaranteed (even if you don’t have a permanent contract, as most clinicians in Germany don’t) and you can also focus on the treating part versus having to also manage a business? Even if you don’t, buying in a running practice costs a small apartment, while the alternative of setting up your own shop from scratch and building that patient inflow is financially difficult in its own way. If a company can help alleviate the latter, there is a considerable upside for all parties involved.