Medical Council data shows Māori and Pasifika doctors in Aotearoa will have a greater representation in the coming years and women doctors may soon outnumber their male counterparts.
Forty-seven percent of practising doctors are now female. Photo: 123RF
A survey from the council shows the proportion of Māori doctors is now 4.4 percent, and nearly a quarter of students beginning medical school between 2015 and 2019 identified as Māori or Pasifika.
Council chair Dr Curtis Walker said a diverse medical workforce was essential.
The proportion of female practising doctors has increased to 47 percent and could outnumber men by 2025, he said.
The data showed New Zealand was also retaining more graduates than ever before.
Aotearoa retained 90 percent of its medical graduates from the 2010-13 cohorts for five years after initial registration.
Dr Walker said it reflected initiatives such as the Ministry of Health's Voluntary Bonding Scheme.
"It is important that council maintains robust and fair processes for the many doctors from overseas who wish to practise in Aotearoa, while also increasing the number of New Zealand-trained doctors and securing a more self-sustainable medical workforce."
The number of practising doctors has increased by 3.6 percent in 2021 to 18,308 with the fastest-growing specialities being emergency medicine, urgent care and internal medicine.