Brandenburg Faces Lowest Doctor and Therapist Density in Germany

Brandenburg has been reported as having the lowest density of medical doctors and psychotherapists in Germany, with only 201.3 practitioners available per 100,000 residents. This statistic emerges from a recent analysis conducted by the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV) and shared with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

In contrast, Berlin boasts a significantly denser network of healthcare providers, with an average of 299.1 doctors and therapists per 100,000 residents. The only regions surpassing Berlin in healthcare density are Bremen, with 308 practitioners, and Hamburg, which has 310.3.

Both Brandenburg and Berlin share a similar demographic in terms of age among their healthcare professionals. The average age of practitioners in Brandenburg is reported at 54 years, while in Berlin, it stands slightly higher at 54.9 years. Notably, Berlin has the oldest healthcare workforce in the nation, second only to Saarland.

Furthermore, a concerning aspect is the proportion of healthcare providers nearing retirement age. In Brandenburg, 10% of the medical workforce is over 65, while in Berlin, that figure is slightly higher at 14.9%. This trend raises questions about the future availability of healthcare services in these regions.

When examining the availability of family doctors, both states show a closer alignment. Berlin has 72.6 family physicians per 100,000 residents, ranking just behind Hamburg (73.4) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (75). Brandenburg, however, lags slightly behind with 67 family doctors per 100,000.

The average age of family physicians is also noteworthy, with those in Berlin averaging 55.7 years, compared to their counterparts in Brandenburg, who average 54.7 years. The proportion of family doctors over the age of 65 is 12.9% in Brandenburg, while in Berlin, it is higher at 16.6%.