Internal medicine represents the largest primary care specialty, with 41.4% of all primary care physicians practicing in this field, according to new data from KFF.
In contrast, geriatrics represents just 0.3% of the primary care workforce, underscoring a significant disparity in physician distribution as the U.S. population continues to age, driving demand for specialized care.
For its analysis, KFF obtained information on the number of active, licensed primary care physicians in the U.S., as of this September from Redi-Data. Figures include both allopathic and osteopathic physicians.
Nationwide, 535,256 professionally active primary care physicians were practicing in the U.S., as of September.
Here's a breakdown by field:
| Primary care subspecialty |
Internal |
Family medicine/ |
Pediatrics |
Obstetrics & gynecology |
Geriatrics |
|
Number of professionally active physicians |
221,857 |
156,850 |
96,738 |
58,191 |
1,620 |
|
Percentage |
41.4% |
29.3% |
18.1% |
10.9% |
0.3% |
To view the full analysis, which includes state-specific data, click here.