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HEALTHCARE RECRUITMENT // CANADIAN MARKET DATA

Canadian Physician Recruitment & Workforce Trends.

The Canadian healthcare workforce is changing fast. MDSearch tracks verified data from CIHI, CMA, and Statistics Canada to help employers and physicians understand workforce trends, specialty demand, and hiring conditions.

Employment Growth / Physician Vacancy Data / Specialty Demand

Employment Growth.

Healthcare employment growth across Canada continues increasing competition for qualified physicians and healthcare professionals, particularly in regions already facing staffing shortages. As healthcare systems expand and patient demand rises, many employers are experiencing longer recruitment timelines for specialist and difficult-to-fill physician roles.

Over the past 25 years, employment in health occupations in Canada more than doubled (+114.8%) from 1998 to 2024, growing at ~3% per year, twice the pace of all occupations (1.5%).

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Healthcare employment renewal ratios show that in 2024 there were about 1.9 younger workers (aged 25-34) for every one worker aged 55-64 in health occupations, a signal of workforce renewal pressure.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

About one-third of physicians in Canada are aged 50 or older, meaning many healthcare organizations are planning for significant retirements over the next decade.

- Source: Job Bank -

Approximately half of Canadian physicians work primarily in community based settings, while a significant portion are hospital based or work in blended models.

- Source: CIHI -

In 2024, Canadian physicians numbered 99,555, equating to 241 physicians per 100,000 people, and the workforce grew 2.2% overall (specialists grew 2.5%, family physicians 1.9%).

- Source: CIHI -

In Canada, many provinces have recently reported increases in both entries and exits among family physicians and regulated nurses, meaning that even when new providers are hired, exit rates are rising too.

- Source: CIHI -

Internationally trained physicians already play an important role in the Canadian healthcare system, representing about 27% of practicing physicians nationwide.

- Source: Wikipedia -

Although not healthcare-specific, career experts estimate that up to ~85% of jobs in Canada are never formally advertised, instead filled through networking, referrals, and direct outreach.

- Source: M2C -

According to ESDC/Statistics Canada projections for 2024-2033, employment in health occupations is expected to grow about 2.5% annually, faster than many other broad occupational categories.

- Source: Canada Gov -

The number of workers in Canadian health occupations reached about 1.7 million in 2024, up roughly 2.7% from 2023, and employment in health occupations has more than doubled (+114.8%) since 1998.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

The number of physicians licensed to practise in Canada has grown steadily, with over 100,000 practicing physicians reported in 2023, up significantly from prior years.

- Source: CIHI -

More than 31% of Ontario physicians received their medical education outside Canada.

- Source: CIHI -

Healthcare Vacancy Data.

Healthcare vacancy rates continue affecting hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations across Canada. In many regions, physician recruitment efforts now extend beyond traditional job postings as employers compete for experienced specialists, rural healthcare providers, and hard-to-recruit physician disciplines.

Projections suggest Canada could face a shortage of up to 44,000 physicians by 2028, increasing competition for talent and adding pressure to hiring decisions.

- Source: RBC -

Canada had 78,600 unfilled positions in health occupations in the third quarter of 2024, with persistent shortages in key roles such as physicians, nurses, and technologists.

- Source: Canada Gov -

The report “Workforce renewal in health occupations” states that vacancies in health occupations remain elevated, with recruitment and retention continuing to challenge the system.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Canada produces only about 7.5 new doctors per 100,000 people, roughly half the OECD average, and faces a gap of nearly 23,000 family physicians compared with demand, underscoring the challenges in healthcare hiring and workforce supply.

- Source: CMA -

5.9 million Canadian adults do not have a regular family doctor, nurse practitioner, or primary care team.

- Source: CMA -

Even though family physician headcounts have increased over the past decade, physician supply is only narrowly keeping pace with Canada’s population growth. In 2024, approximately 5.7 million Canadian adults did not have a regular healthcare provider.

- Source: CIHI -

Canada’s health-related job vacancies have more than doubled since 2016, climbing from 6.5% of all job vacancies in 2016 to 15% in 2024, the highest level since the pandemic began.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Rural and remote communities in Canada experience ongoing physician shortages, often requiring flexible or hybrid practice models.

- Source: CIHI -

Canada continues ranking below the OECD average for physicians per capita, contributing to ongoing physician shortages and healthcare recruitment pressure nationwide.

- Source: Wikipedia -

In the third quarter of 2024, 53.9% of 34,000 vacancies for professional health-consultation roles (including treating and consultation professions) had been advertised for 90 days or more.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Recruitment challenges are particularly acute in rural areas. Although roughly 20% of Canadians live in rural communities, only about 8% of physicians practice there, creating persistent access gaps.

- Source: Wikipedia -

The share of Canadians reporting difficult or no access to a family doctor rose from 40% in 2015 to 50% in 2025.

- Source: Angus Reid Institute -

Statistics Canada reports that in Q3 2024, nearly half of job vacancies in health occupations were posted for 90 days or more. This pattern reflects a well-known reality in Canadian healthcare: many clinical roles involve careful screening, licensing considerations, and competition for a limited pool of qualified professionals.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

A national survey reported that 97% of health workers say they’re short staffed and about 40% are considering leaving public healthcare within three years, which highlights retention challenges that recruitment strategy must also address.

- Source: HSABC -

Nearly 1 in 2 job vacancies (48.5%) in health occupations in Canada remained open for 90 days or longer in Q3 2024.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Approximately 5.7 million Canadian adults did not have access to a regular healthcare provider in 2024, increasing pressure on family medicine recruitment across Canada.

- Source: CIHI -

According to the Canadian Medical Association’s 2025 National Physician Health Survey, physicians continue to report high levels of workload pressure, exhaustion, and burnout, with some reducing clinical hours or considering leaving practice altogether.

- Source: CMA -

Specialty Demand.

Demand continues increasing for specialties including psychiatry, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and family medicine, particularly in underserved and rapidly growing regions. Recruitment pressure remains especially high where physician shortages are already affecting patient access and healthcare system capacity.

Although rural communities represent a significant portion of Canada’s geography, only about 7% of physicians practice in rural areas, creating persistent recruitment challenges for underserved regions.

- Source: CIHI -

According to the “Most in-demand medical specialties in Canada” article, the specialties facing the biggest shortage include family medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and pediatrics.

- Source: PracticeLink -

Even though more providers are entering Canadian health occupations, many provinces saw increases in both entries and exits for family physicians and regulated nurses between 2019 and 2022.

- Source: CIHI -

New 2024 findings from Statistics Canada reveal persistent gaps in primary care access for children and youth across the country. While 89% have a primary-care provider, the remaining 11% are left without one, most commonly due to waitlists or an absence of clinics taking new patients.

- Source: Statistics Canada -

Emergency medicine physician supply has seen limited growth over the past decade despite increasing patient demand and healthcare system pressures.

- Source: CIHI -

A supply-demand gap of 22,823 family physicians was estimated in Canada (2022 data: Supply 46,145 vs Demand 68,968 head-counts) in the “Caring for Canadians” report.

- Source: HealthCareCAN: -

In 2024, growth in the supply of family physicians in Canada lagged population growth for the first time since the mid-1990s.

- Source: CIHI -

Across Canada, there were 78,600 unfilled positions in health occupations in late 2024, reflecting persistent recruitment and retention challenges in clinical roles including physicians.

- Source: Canada Gov -

The number of family physicians in direct-care roles grew approximately 20% from 2014 to 2022, but the average per-physician patient panel has been declining.

- Source: CIHI -

The indicator “Physicians per 100,000 population by specialty” provides data through 2024 on how many physicians are active in each specialty per capita.

- Source: CIHI -

The 5-year growth rate of family physicians in Canada slowed from 12.9% (2012–16) to 7.7% (2017–21).

- Source: CIHI -

The number of nurse practitioners in Canada has grown significantly over the past decade, reflecting expanded practice models including community and hospital settings.

- Source: CIHI -

According to compensation data, the average physician salary in Canada is about $243,600 per year, with senior physicians earning significantly more and entry-level physicians less.

- Source: Salary Expert -