The latest data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has revealed that nearly half of doctors in Switzerland have their origins overseas. In some Swiss cantons, a large majority of physicians completed their qualifications abroad.

Swiss healthcare managed over 25 million cases in 2023

According to the data, around 185.800 people were employed in the Swiss healthcare system full-time at the end of 2023, a rise of 2,7 percent compared to the year before. GPs and other doctors handled 1,5 million inpatient stays and 23,9 million outpatient consultations and appointments. While 0,9 percent more hospitalisations were reported in 2023 compared to 2022, the number of appointments overall declined slightly.

The report found that at the end of last year, 45,6 percent of doctors and 31,9 percent of nurse staff practising in Switzerland gained their qualifications overseas. The findings add to an earlier report from the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), which found that 16.590 or 40,4 percent of doctors hold Swiss residence permits. This compares to just 9.756 doctors a decade ago. 

Hospitals in Switzerland "reliant" on foreign doctors, says FSO

The FSO conceded that “Swiss hospitals rely on specialists with foreign diplomas.” Of all doctors working in Switzerland, 19,3 percent have a qualification earned in Germany, 3,1 percent in France, 5,1 percent in Italy and 16,9 percent in other nations. Canton Ticino had the fewest Swiss graduate physicians at 31,2 percent, while Canton Zurich has the most at 66,6 percent.

In terms of nationality, the FMH found that half of all non-Swiss doctors are German citizens, followed by Italian (9,5 percent), French (7,1 percent) and Austrian (6 percent). As these doctors are all likely to speak one of Switzerland’s national languages, and can more easily come to work thanks to the country’s free movement agreements with the EU, it’s perhaps not a surprise that they are the largest national groups.

Staff shortages continue to grip healthcare in Switzerland

Much of the reason why the proportion of non-Swiss doctors is so high is because of the ongoing worker shortages. According to the latest data from the FSO, healthcare is one of the sectors in the greatest need of new employees.

At the same time, the FMH wrote that the reliance on expat labour “reminds us that there are not enough doctors trained in Switzerland to cover needs.” Indeed, this November the cantonal parliament of Zurich urgently created 500 new places to study medicine, to address the shortage of 240 physicians in the region - a number which is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. "We are running out of time," local FDP councillor Linda Camenisch told SRF.